The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has reportedly travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment after suffering an undisclosed illness, multiple sources confirmed on Tuesday morning.
According to reports first published by Western Post and later confirmed by The PUNCH, Edun departed Abuja for Lagos on Monday evening via a commercial flight before boarding a British Airways flight to London later that night.
A source close to the minister confirmed the development, saying, “It’s true, he has left already.”
Prior to his departure, officials at the Presidency maintained that the 69-year-old minister was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the care of local physicians. They acknowledged that Edun had taken ill in recent days but denied earlier rumours that he had suffered a stroke or was incapacitated.
A senior government official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorisation, said on Sunday that while Edun’s condition was “a bit serious,” it was not critical. “Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, but it’s not a stroke. He’s in his house, and doctors are monitoring him closely,” the source explained, adding that the possibility of seeking treatment abroad had been under consideration.
Another aide confirmed that President Bola Tinubu was fully briefed on Edun’s condition and had been monitoring the situation but clarified that there were “no plans to replace him.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, also acknowledged the minister’s health challenge, noting that he was initially receiving medical attention 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 told journalists on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has confirmed that Edun will miss this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., which began on Tuesday, October 14. In his absence, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the global finance event.
Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has been a central figure in President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda. He has overseen key policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies, unification of foreign exchange rates, and fiscal adjustments aimed at stabilising the naira and tackling inflation.
Before his federal appointment, Edun served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance from 1999 to 2004 under then-Governor Bola Tinubu and later co-founded the investment banking firm, Denham Management Limited.
As of press time, the Ministry of Finance had not released an official statement regarding the minister’s medical trip or his current health status.
