Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, has left the country for medical treatment in the United Kingdom, multiple government sources confirmed on Tuesday.
Edun, 69, reportedly departed Abuja for Lagos on Monday night via a commercial flight before boarding a British Airways flight to London.
His trip follows recent health speculation that had kept him away from public functions in recent days.
Although officials at the Presidency had previously maintained that the minister was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the supervision of local doctors, sources maintained his condition warranted further medical evaluation abroad.
"It’s true, he has left already," a source familiar with the development told THE PUNCH.
Over the weekend, senior aides denied rumours suggesting a stroke or incapacitation, insisting that while the minister was unwell, his condition was not life-threatening.
"Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke," a top government official said on Sunday.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, also stated that Edun was receiving care in Nigeria at the time, adding,
"Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill. As we are talking, he is in Nigeria. He is recuperating," Onanuga said.
Despite mounting speculation, Presidency sources stressed that there were no plans to replace the minister, although his absence will affect Nigeria’s participation at major international engagements.
Edun is now expected to miss the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings holding this week in Washington, D.C.
In his place, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, will lead the Nigerian delegation.
Appointed on 28 August 2023, Wale Edun has been central to the Tinubu administration’s economic reform agenda, overseeing key policy shifts including petrol subsidy removal, foreign exchange unification and fiscal stabilisation efforts.
As of press time, the Ministry of Finance had not issued an official statement regarding his medical leave or expected duration abroad.
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