Education, Medical Trips Push Nigerians’ Foreign Travel Spending to $6bn

Nigerians spent nearly $6 billion on international travel in 2025, driven largely by overseas education, medical tourism, business engagements, and personal trips.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that foreign travel expenditure rose by 32 per cent to $5.996 billion in 2025, compared to $4.544 billion recorded in 2024.

Industry experts say the trend reflects deep-rooted challenges in Nigeria’s education, healthcare, tourism, and aviation sectors, stressing that urgent reforms are needed to reduce the country’s growing dependence on foreign services.

According to the CBN, travel spending increased significantly during the first three quarters of 2025 before slowing in the final quarter. Nigerians spent $1.267 billion on foreign travel in the first quarter, rising to $1.688 billion in the second quarter and peaking at $1.806 billion in the third quarter. However, spending fell to $1.235 billion in the fourth quarter.

Education remained the largest contributor to foreign travel expenses. Nigerians spent $2.845 billion on education-related trips in 2025, up from $2.484 billion in 2024. Spending rose steadily through the first three quarters before declining in the final quarter of the year.

Business travel recorded the sharpest increase. Expenditure on business trips surged across all quarters, reflecting a rise in international business activities and corporate engagements. Spending in this category rose from relatively low levels in 2024 to more than $845 million in total during 2025.

Medical tourism also remained a major source of foreign exchange outflow. Nigerians spent $684.72 million on overseas medical treatment in 2025, compared to $643.15 million the previous year. Spending increased during the first three quarters before easing towards the end of the year.

Personal travel, including tourism and other private trips, also recorded strong growth. Expenditure in this category climbed by over 31 per cent to $1.62 billion in 2025 from $1.235 billion in 2024.

Commenting on the figures, Director of Research at Zenith Travels and Consult Ltd, Olumide Ohunayo, said foreign airlines were the biggest beneficiaries of the increase in overseas travel by Nigerians.

He noted that international carriers dominate most foreign routes, leaving limited opportunities for Nigerian airlines to capture a significant share of the market. According to him, the trend highlights the need for stronger local airlines and a viable national carrier.

Ohunayo also linked the rise in education-related travel to concerns about the quality and focus of local institutions. He argued that many private universities charge fees comparable to those of foreign institutions without offering specialised programmes that can retain students within the country.

Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzult, Chris Aligbe, attributed the growing education spending abroad to the declining reputation of Nigeria’s educational system. He said Nigerian universities once attracted international students but have gradually lost that position due to falling standards.

On medical tourism, experts pointed to poor infrastructure, unreliable power supply, inadequate funding, and the migration of healthcare professionals as major factors driving Nigerians to seek treatment abroad.

They also noted that some foreign destinations, particularly India and China, often offer more affordable treatment options than what is available locally.

Regarding tourism, Aligbe said insecurity and the lack of a clear policy framework have hindered the development of Nigeria’s tourism industry. He explained that despite the country’s vast tourism potential, many attractions remain underdeveloped, pushing Nigerians to spend their leisure budgets overseas.

The experts called for greater investment in healthcare, education, infrastructure, security, and support for local airlines. They warned that without significant reforms, Nigeria will continue to lose billions of dollars annually to foreign education, healthcare, tourism, and travel-related services.