Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar has been featured in an Indian hospital’s promotional material after undergoing knee replacement surgery in Ahmedabad
Abdulsalami Abubakar Featured in Indian Hospital Advert After Knee Replacement Surgery
Former Nigerian Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar has been featured in promotional material by an Indian hospital after undergoing knee replacement surgery at the facility in Ahmedabad.
Krishna Shalby Hospital, where the former military ruler received treatment, posted images and video of Abubakar as part of its promotional campaign for international patients. The footage shows the former Head of State receiving care and walking during his recovery after the procedure.
The hospital also featured Vice President Kashim Shettima during his visit to the facility to check on Abubakar’s progress and wellbeing.
In a post on its social media platforms, Krishna Shalby described Shettima’s visit as reflecting the “growing trust in India’s healthcare” and its commitment to caring for patients from across the world.
“When patients travel across borders for specialised care, their trust means everything,” the hospital said.
In another promotional post, the hospital said it was “honoured to have treated Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” adding that he underwent “Total Knee Replacement Surgery” at the facility.
The use of Abubakar’s treatment and images in the hospital’s promotional material has triggered reactions in Nigeria, particularly over the continued reliance of prominent Nigerians on foreign medical facilities.
Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was among those who reacted after sharing the promotional video on X.
“This is former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, being used in a hospital advert after undergoing knee replacement surgery in India,” Sowore said.
He questioned why Nigerian leaders who had opportunities while in government to develop the country’s healthcare system continue to seek specialised treatment abroad.
Sowore described the development as a reflection of what he called “decades of failed leadership and neglect of Nigeria’s healthcare system”.
A lawyer, Aloy Ejimafor, also criticised the hospital’s use of Abubakar’s image in a Facebook post, describing it as a “diplomatic insult” for an Indian hospital to use the former Head of State’s treatment in an advertisement for knee replacement surgery.
It remains unclear whether Abubakar’s treatment in India was fully funded by the Federal Government.
However, Nigerian law provides medical and other benefits to former Heads of State and their immediate families, including medical treatment within Nigeria and, where necessary, treatment abroad at government expense.
The benefits are part of the statutory entitlements available to former presidents and Heads of State. The 2026 federal budget contains ₦2.3 billion for the entitlements of former presidents, Heads of State and their deputies.
Abubakar’s treatment abroad has also renewed discussion about Nigeria’s long-standing medical tourism problem and the reliance of political leaders on foreign healthcare facilities.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, faced criticism during his tenure over repeated medical trips to the United Kingdom, with doctors and other critics arguing that such trips could undermine confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
In April 2025, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate said Nigeria loses an estimated $2 billion annually to medical tourism.
“This is not just about stopping medical tourism. It is about building health sovereignty, the ability of a country to care for its own people, develop its institutions, talent, and innovation,” Pate said.
The controversy surrounding Abubakar’s treatment has therefore brought renewed attention to the gap between Nigeria’s public healthcare ambitions and the continued use of overseas medical facilities by some of the country’s most prominent figures.
