As Nigeria continues to mourn the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, has called on the government to see this moment as a wake-up call to urgently revamp the country’s failing healthcare system.

Buhari died in London on Sunday after battling an undisclosed illness, becoming the second Nigerian leader after President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to die in a foreign hospital.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Archbishop Martins extended his condolences to Buhari’s family and all Nigerians. He, however, stressed that the late president’s death once again highlights the sad reality of Nigeria’s dependence on foreign hospitals for critical medical care.

He reminded the public of how, during Buhari’s time in office, his wife Aisha Buhari openly complained about the poor state of the State House Clinic, the very facility meant to cater to Nigeria’s top leaders.

“If the former First Lady could lament the condition of the State House Clinic, one can only imagine how terrible it must be for hospitals meant for the ordinary Nigerian,” Archbishop Martins noted.

He added that it is a shame that Nigerian leaders have to travel abroad to seek medical help, urging that more attention and serious investment be channelled into fixing the health sector so Nigerians no longer have to depend on medical tourism.

“This is the time for the government to look inwards and prioritise healthcare for the good of all citizens,” he said.

The Archbishop concluded by hoping Buhari’s death would finally spur leaders at all levels to take decisive action to transform Nigeria’s hospitals, making quality healthcare accessible at home.