Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has traveled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, multiple sources confirmed on Tuesday. The 69-year-old minister, a key figure in President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, departed Abuja for Lagos on Monday night via a commercial flight before boarding a British Airways flight to London.
The decision follows days of illness, which sources described as serious but not a stroke, contrary to earlier rumors. On Sunday, Presidency officials had indicated Edun was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the care of Nigerian doctors. However, a senior official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that doctors recommended foreign medical care, leading to his departure. “It’s true, he has left already,” the source said.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga acknowledged Edun’s illness but initially stated he was recovering in Nigeria. Another source emphasized that President Tinubu is closely monitoring the situation, with no plans to replace the minister. The Ministry of Finance has not issued an official statement on Edun’s whereabouts.
Due to his condition, Edun will miss the 2025 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., starting October 14. Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso will lead Nigeria’s delegation instead.
Edun, appointed on August 28, 2023, has spearheaded major reforms, including petrol subsidy removal, foreign exchange rate unification, and measures to stabilize the naira and curb inflation. A former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance (1999–2004) under Tinubu, he also co-founded Denham Management Limited.
The Presidency has dismissed speculations of Edun’s replacement, affirming his critical role in the administration’s economic agenda.
