Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has travelled to the United Kingdom for medical attention, government sources confirmed on Tuesday.
Edun, 69, reportedly left Abuja for Lagos on Monday night before boarding a British Airways flight to London, according to multiple sources cited by Western Post and The PUNCH.
Until his departure, officials at the Presidency had maintained that the minister was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the supervision of Nigerian doctors. They confirmed he had recently fallen ill but denied widespread rumours that he had suffered a stroke or was incapacitated.
“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke,” a senior government official told The PUNCH on Sunday. “As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He’s not been flown anywhere.” The source had, however, acknowledged that doctors might recommend treatment abroad if necessary—a decision that has now been taken.
Another aide said the President was receiving regular updates on Edun’s condition but stressed that there were “no plans to replace him.”
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga also confirmed that the minister had fallen ill, noting that he was “recuperating” in Nigeria as of the weekend. “Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill. As we are talking, he is in Nigeria. He is recuperating,” Onanuga said.
The Presidency has dismissed speculation that President Bola Tinubu was considering a replacement for Edun, though it confirmed that the minister would miss this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso will now lead Nigeria’s delegation to the talks, which begin Tuesday.
Appointed in August 2023, Edun has been a central figure in Tinubu’s economic reform programme, overseeing controversial but sweeping policy shifts, including the removal of fuel subsidies, the unification of exchange rates, and new fiscal measures to stabilise the naira and tackle inflation.
Before joining the federal cabinet, Edun served as Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State during Tinubu’s governorship from 1999 to 2004 and later co-founded the investment firm Denham Management Limited.
As of Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Finance had not issued an official statement on the minister’s condition or expected duration of stay abroad.
