Finance Minister Wale Edun reappears in Abuja amid health speculations

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, was sighted in Abuja on Sunday, effectively putting to rest days of speculation surrounding his health and whereabouts.

Edun was seen at Fraser Suites, where he attended an official meeting with a visiting Qatari delegation. According to The Nation, the minister—who had been rumored to be “indisposed” and possibly receiving medical attention abroad—arrived at the venue on Sunday afternoon in good spirits.

Sources at the event confirmed that Edun participated in a closed-door session lasting about an hour, during which key discussions were held to strengthen bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and Qatar.

He was later seen leaving the meeting alongside the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, signaling that the government’s high-level economic engagements remain on course despite recent public concerns about his wellbeing.

His appearance follows a wave of reports suggesting he had travelled to the United Kingdom for medical reasons. In a video shared by NTA Network on X, Edun was seen wearing Agbada during the Abuja engagement.

Earlier in the week, the minister was sighted at an art exhibition in London. A video posted by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, showed him visiting the O’DA Art Gallery booth at the 1-54 London Art Fair on October 15 at Somerset House.

Onanuga explained that the minister’s trip was “an officially sanctioned few days of rest from the rigours of managing the Nigerian economy.”

He had also previously said that Edun was “indisposed but recuperating in Nigeria,” refuting claims that the minister had been flown abroad for treatment.

The speculations had intensified amid talk of a possible cabinet reshuffle following Edun’s absence from the recent World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., where Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso led Nigeria’s delegation.

Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun is a key member of President Tinubu’s economic team, overseeing fiscal policy, investment drives, and naira stabilisation efforts. He previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance from 1999 to 2004.