Nigeria’s Finance Minister Wale Edun has stepped away from his duties to seek medical treatment in the United Kingdom, though officials insist there’s no cause for alarm.
The 69-year-old minister, who hadn’t been feeling well recently, left Nigeria earlier this week after doctors advised him to get further evaluation abroad.
Family sources say Edun initially stayed home in Abuja under local medical care before the decision was made to fly to London for more specialized treatment. He quietly departed Monday night via Lagos.
The timing is significant. Edun has been at the center of President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious economic reforms, from trying to stabilize the naira to managing the fallout from fuel subsidy removal.
His sudden absence naturally sparked speculation about both his health and the future of the finance ministry.
But the Presidency moved quickly to calm those concerns. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Edun is “recovering and in good spirits.”
He shot down any talk of the minister being replaced or his condition being serious, emphasizing that Edun stays in regular touch with Tinubu and other key officials.
“There are no plans to alter leadership at the finance ministry,” Onanuga stated firmly.
To keep things running smoothly, Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso will step in for Edun at the upcoming World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington.
The Presidency called this a “standard substitution”, routine diplomatic shuffling to ensure Nigeria’s interests are represented.
Edun has been one of Tinubu’s most trusted lieutenants since joining the cabinet in August 2023.
A former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance and experienced investment banker, he’s become the chief architect of the administration’s currency reform and fiscal discipline efforts.
His fingerprints are all over the government’s economic strategy.
Back at the Ministry of Finance, officials say it’s business as usual. Senior directors are handling daily operations while Edun focuses on recovery, and no one’s expecting major disruptions.
For now, the government’s message is clear: the minister needs rest, not replacement.
