Nigeria, Dec. 22 -- Nigeria's growing reliance on medical tourism is being driven, in part, by strained relationships between doctors and patients, as well as gaps in infrastructure, according to UK-based physician Tokunbo Fasuyi.

He said many Nigerians increasingly seek healthcare abroad not only because of better facilities, but because they feel unheard, confused and excluded from decisions about their own treatment within the local healthcare system.

Nigeria has long grappled with a heavy dependence on medical tourism, with thousands of citizens travelling abroad annually for treatments ranging from routine check-ups to complex surgeries.

Popular destinations include the United Kingdom, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, w...