Finance Minister Wale Edun flown abroad for treatment
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, has been flown to the United Kingdom for further medical attention, per several media reports, including Western Post, published by Tunde Rahman, one of the spokespersons of President Bola Tinubu.
According to the report, Edun left Abuja for Lagos on Monday night via a commercial flight, before hopping into a British Airways flight on the same night to London.
The presidency had earlier dismissed an initial report that he was bedridden by a stroke, saying he was already recuperating.
Another report by Punch Newspaper quoted a senior government official, albeit on Sunday, who said Edun’s condition was being monitored closely. “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 official, however, added that doctors might recommend foreign medical care if necessary, a decision that has now been made.
Another aide familiar with the matter confirmed that Edun’s medical situation had prompted closer attention from the President 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 speculation that President Bola Tinubu was considering a replacement for the finance minister.
However, it confirmed that the minister would miss this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.
According to a statement by Onanuga, the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, would instead lead Nigeria’s delegation to the global finance meetings, which begin today, Tuesday, October 14.
Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has been a key figure in the Tinubu administration’s economic reform drive, overseeing the removal of petrol subsidies, unification of foreign exchange rates, and fiscal measures aimed at stabilising the naira and curbing inflation.
He served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under Tinubu’s administration between 1999 and 2004 and later co-founded investment banking firm Denham Management Limited.
