Ailing Finance Minister, Wale Edun Flies to UK for Treatment

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, has reportedly travelled to the United Kingdom to receive medical attention after days of being unwell.

According to Punch, multiple government insiders confirmed on Tuesday that the minister, who had been recuperating at his Abuja residence under the supervision of local doctors, left the country late Monday night.

Furthermore, sources familiar with his travel arrangements, said Edun first flew from Abuja to Lagos on a commercial flight before boarding a British Airways plane to London later that evening.

“It’s true, he has travelled for medical care. The doctors decided it was best for him to continue his treatment abroad,” one official said, requesting anonymity. 

Before his departure, officials at the Presidency had maintained that the 69-year-old minister was only recovering from an undisclosed illness and had not suffered a stroke as earlier rumoured.

“Yes, he was ill, but it wasn’t as serious as people speculated. He’s been under close observation by his doctors,” another government source said.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, also confirmed earlier that Edun was sick but insisted there was no plan to replace him in the cabinet.

“Mr Edun fell ill suddenly but has been receiving treatment. The President has been fully briefed on his condition, and there are no discussions about a replacement,” Onanuga explained.

The minister’s health condition means he will not be attending this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., which commence on Tuesday, October 14. 

Instead, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the high-profile global financial event.

Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has played a major role in President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda. 

He has overseen several key policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies, the unification of exchange rates, and fiscal measures aimed at stabilising the naira and reducing inflation.

Before joining the federal cabinet, Edun served as Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State under then-Governor Tinubu from 1999 to 2004 and later co-founded Denham Management Limited, an investment banking firm.

As of press time, the Ministry of Finance had yet to release an official statement regarding the minister’s health or expected duration of stay abroad.