Finance Minister Wale Edun’s Health Worsens, Flown to UK Early This Morning

• Finance Minister Wale Edun has reportedly been flown to the United Kingdom for medical treatment after his health condition worsened, according to multiple government sources.

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has reportedly travelled to the United Kingdom to seek medical treatment, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed on Tuesday morning.

The report, first published by Western Post, was verified by government insiders who told The Punch that the minister left Nigeria on Monday night for London after several days of illness.

According to the sources, Edun travelled from Abuja to Lagos via a commercial flight before boarding a British Airways flight to London later that night. Until his departure, presidency officials had maintained that the 69-year-old minister was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the supervision of Nigerian doctors.

Sources confirmed that the minister had recently taken ill but dismissed speculation that he suffered a stroke or was incapacitated. One senior government official, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak to the media, told The Punch that Edun’s condition was being closely monitored.

“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke. As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He’s not been flown anywhere,” the source had said on Sunday evening.

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The same official added that foreign medical care might be recommended if the need arose — a decision that has now been made. Another aide close to the presidency said Edun’s health condition had drawn the attention of President Bola Tinubu but stressed that “there are no plans to replace him.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also confirmed that the minister had fallen ill but was initially receiving treatment in Nigeria.

“Yes, he’s indisposed. Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill. As we are talking, he is in Nigeria. He is recuperating. He’s around,” Onanuga said on Sunday.

The presidency had earlier debunked reports suggesting that President Tinubu was considering a replacement for the finance minister, stating that there were no plans to make changes to the economic management team.

Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has been a key figure in the Tinubu administration’s economic reform drive, overseeing policies such as the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates. He previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under Tinubu’s administration from 1999 to 2004 and co-founded the investment banking firm Denham Management Limited.

As of press time, the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue an official statement on Edun’s medical trip or his expected return date. Government officials insist that the minister remains in office and that his temporary absence will not affect the ongoing implementation of Nigeria’s economic and fiscal policies