By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has been flown abroad for urgent medical treatment after reportedly suffering a stroke.
SaharaReporters on Sunday cited a top government source who described Edun’s condition as “very serious,” although the minister is said to be receiving intensive care overseas.
“It’s very serious. He may survive, but he can’t get back to work again,” the source told SaharaReporters, disclosing that the minister suffered severe paralysis as a result of the stroke.
The source, who requested anonymity, further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has begun consultations to identify a possible replacement amid Edun’s health crisis.
“President Bola Tinubu is looking for a replacement urgently,” the source said, hinting at the mounting pressure surrounding recent economic and foreign exchange challenges. “The paralysis is severe. May God guide us all. This running after dollars is another matter.”
According to the source, Edun’s condition may have been triggered by stress and exhaustion linked to his demanding schedule and unhealthy lifestyle. The official noted that many senior government officials work with minimal rest, irregular meals, and long hours that often extend late into the night.
The source noted that senior officials reportedly work with little rest, irregular meals, and minimal sleep, often staying up until the early hours of the morning and resuming work after only a few hours of rest.
Security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), are said to have confirmed the minister’s deteriorating condition, describing him as “extremely ill.”
While the presidency has not confirmed the stroke, Edun’s indisposition was officially acknowledged in a statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, “Cardoso, as the alternate Governor, replaces the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, who is indisposed.”
The statement announced that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 2024 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), which open on Monday, October 13, in Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu on Sunday, October 12, departed Abuja for Rome, Italy, where he is expected to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting, which focuses on the ongoing security crisis in West Africa.
The summit, which opens on October 14, will convene Heads of State, intelligence and military officials, as well as representatives of international organisations, to deliberate on regional security threats, including terrorism, organised crime, and piracy.
Launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by the Italian government, the Aqaba Process aims to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly across West Africa’s Sahel region and the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr. Edun was appointed Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy by President Tinubu on August 21, 2023. Their professional ties date back to Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State, where Edun served as Commissioner for Finance between 1999 and 2004.
Until his recent health setback, Edun was a key figure in the Tinubu administration’s economic team and had been overseeing fiscal policy, economic planning, and engagement with financial institutions.
He was last seen in public on Thursday during a budget session with the Senate, where he was involved in ongoing discussions around national economic reforms.