Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment after falling ill in recent days.
Sources close to the matter confirmed on Tuesday that the minister, who had been receiving treatment in Abuja, departed for Lagos on Monday night before boarding a British Airways flight to London for further medical attention.
Until his trip, Edun was said to be recuperating at his Abuja residence under the supervision of local doctors. Presidency officials had earlier dismissed rumours that he had suffered a stroke or was incapacitated but admitted that his illness required close monitoring.
It was gathered that medical professionals later advised that he should seek further treatment abroad, prompting his departure.Another presidential aide confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had been briefed on Edun’s condition but noted that there were no plans to replace him at the ministry.
Due to his health condition, Edun will not attend the ongoing World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. The Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the global financial gathering.
Edun, 69, was appointed in August 2023 and has played a central role in the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, the unification of foreign exchange rates, and efforts to stabilise the naira.
Before joining the federal cabinet, he served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance between 1999 and 2004 and co-founded Denham Management Limited, an investment banking firm.
As of the time of this report, the Ministry of Finance had not issued an official statement on his health status or expected date of return.