The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, has called for more investments in the health sector in Nigeria, saying it is a major way of checking medical tourism, generate foreign exchange and save the naira.
Speaker Abbas made the call when a delegation from the First Surat Group of Companies, a Turkish conglomerate in Nigeria, visited him in Abuja on Friday.
The delegation was made up of the Group Managing Director of the organization, Yasar Ovenc; Chief Medical Director, Nizamiye Hospital, Prof Ibrahim Yanmis; Executive Director, Nizamiye Hospital, Servet Gulerman; Managing Director, Nigerian-Turkish International Schools, Feyzullah Bilgin; President, Ufuk Dialog, Emrah Ilgen, and the Public Relations Officer, Nizamiye Hospital, Muhammad Abubakar.
The Speaker received the delegation in company of the Minority Whip of the House, Hon. Ali Isah, JC, and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker (Administration), Engr. Jamil Ahmad Muhammad, among others.
“A significant number of the citizens of this country are going on medical tourism. If we can have or replicate what we have in the developed countries, Nigeria would be able to save a lot of foreign exchange, and we will be able to save our naira,” the Speaker said.
He expressed the readiness of the National Assembly, especially the House, to welcome ideas on how to collaborate for a win-win situation for Nigeria and Turkey.
Speaker Abbas commended the group for its contributions and donations to Nigeria since about 27 years.
Noting that he was “really touched by the amazing and wonderful things” the First Surat Group of Companies has been doing in Nigeria, Speaker Abbas urged the conglomerate to work with the newly created Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility of the House.
He added that: “It is indeed a testimony that the Nigerian-Turkish relationship is a mutually beneficial one, and I hope other nationalities will emulate the good work that you have been doing in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Managing Director of the conglomerate, Mr. Ovenc congratulated the Speaker on his emergence as the Number 4 Citizen of Nigeria.
Mr. Ovenc and other members of the delegation, in their separate remarks, reeled out the data on the activities of the Turkish group in Nigeria, especially in the health and education sector.
