In recent years, Lagos has steadily gained ground as one of West Africa’s emerging destinations for medical tourism.
With healthcare costs rising abroad and long wait times in countries like the UK and the US, more patients, including Nigerians in the diaspora and some foreign nationals, are now seeking quality medical care closer to home.
What sets Lagos apart is its growing network of modern private hospitals, rising expertise in specialist care, and steady investment in infrastructure and international partnerships.
Many of these hospitals can now perform complex surgeries such as heart and brain operations, as well as minimally invasive gynecologic and orthopedic procedures, treatments that were once only accessible abroad.
To compile this list of hospitals in Lagos offering intensive surgical care, Nairametrics spoke with public health expert Dr. Oladoyin Odubanjo, FISC, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He reviewed the selected hospitals and shared what their rise means for the country’s health system.
“Yes, it is correct to say that the new highbrow, high-tech hospitals we have are indeed helping to redefine medical tourism. However, they are simply in business to provide what the government has not been able to provide, especially where such services are becoming more difficult to access even in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals.”
He added that these hospitals now offer treatments that used to require travelling abroad, getting foreign exchange, and applying for visas. In some cases, Nigerians in the UK, tired of long waiting lists, are flying back for treatment. For those without insurance, it’s often cheaper to pay out-of-pocket for care in Nigeria than in the US.
Still, Dr. Odubanjo raised concerns about fairness. “There’s a big gap between rich and poor if only private hospitals can offer this kind of care. We need to reach a point where public hospitals can do the same, and that means fixing our national health insurance system so it works for everyone.”
This report highlights the 10 top hospitals in Lagos known for intensive surgeries, selected based on their capacity, ICU facilities, specialist strength, infrastructure, track record, accreditation, and background.
These hospitals are not only treating Nigerians, they’re also attracting patients from Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, the UK, and the US, making them central to Nigeria’s growing medical tourism sector.
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba was established in 1962 by the Federal Government under the University of Lagos Act. It is a public teaching hospital that trains medical professionals and provides tertiary healthcare services.
Accreditation: LUTH is fully accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), West African College of Surgeons (WACS), and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), reinforcing its role as both a service provider and a training ground for future medical specialists.
Speciality Focus: Cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, general surgery, pediatric, oncology.
Surgeries/Year: Over 3,000 complex surgeries annually.
ICU Capacity: over 20 beds with advanced monitoring equipment.
LUTH is Nigeria’s most prominent teaching hospital, affiliated with the University of Lagos and the College of Medicine.
LUTH remains the go-to public facility for affordable, intensive surgical interventions, particularly for lower-income patients. Despite infrastructure challenges, it has a reputation for complex case handling.
