The London Clinic where Buhari died — what to know about the hospital that treated Nigerian presidents and global elites

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s death on July 13, 2025, in London once again shines a spotlight on a familiar pattern: Nigeria’s political leaders routinely seeking healthcare abroad, even in death.

Buhari spent several days receiving medical care at one of London’s most exclusive hospitals — the London Clinic — which is widely believed to be where he took his final breath.

But what exactly is this hospital that became Buhari’s second home? And why does it continue to attract Nigeria’s political elite?

The London Clinic: A Legacy of Royal and Elite Medicine

Founded in 1932, The London Clinic is a 93-year-old private hospital located on Harley Street, in the heart of the Marylebone district of London. Harley Street itself has long been a symbol of elite private medicine — home to a dense cluster of the UK’s top surgeons, consultants, and private healthcare specialists.

The London Clinic was established by a group of Harley Street doctors aiming to provide hospital care in a private, non-NHS environment. Over time, it evolved into one of the most renowned medical institutions in Europe, known for its:

• Advanced cancer care and oncology centre

• Specialised neurosurgery and orthopaedic units

  
  
  

• Private ICU, luxury recovery suites, and 24-hour concierge-style care

• Access to world-leading specialists across disciplines

The hospital is also a charitable, not-for-profit organisation, which reinvests all its earnings into patient care, infrastructure, and medical research.

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On its website, the hospital listed why it is ahead of others.

Who Else Has Been Treated There?

The London Clinic is known for maintaining the utmost discretion, but over the decades, it has treated:

• Global royalty and European aristocrats

• Business moguls and billionaires

• Heads of state and high-level politicians from across Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia

• Prominent celebrities and athletes from the UK and abroad

Because of its quiet reputation, many wealthy and powerful individuals opt for it over more public NHS-affiliated institutions. The hospital is also known to provide VIP suites, private chefs, and floor-level security for high-profile patients — including heads of state like Buhari.

According to FIJ, political and royal figures, including members of the UK monarchy, across the world have accessed care at this facility.

Political leaders such as former US President John F Kennedy, former UK prime ministers Clement Attlee and Sir Anthony Eden were once patients at the clinic.

Cecil Parkinson, a prominent UK politician, died of colon cancer at the clinic in 2016.

In 1966, David Cameron, another former UK leader, was born at the hospital.

In 1998, Augusto Pinochet, a former leader of Chile, was receiving treatment at the medical centre when he was arrested for crimes against humanity.

Some of the UK royal figures who had visited the clinic include former Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip (husband to the late Queen Elizabeth) and the late Queen’s younger sister Princess Margaret.

King Charles III also receives services at the same clinic.

Recently, the hospital was investigated over a data scandal. In January, Kate Middleton, UK Princess of Wales, underwent an abdominal surgery there. Soon after leaving, it was reported that her medical records were improperly accessed by some hospital staff, prompting an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the country’s data and information watchdog.

On the Independent Healthcare Providers Network’s website, the private clinic says, “We are the UK’s largest independent hospital with charitable status, treating 195,000 patient cases a year.”

About 155 broad medical conditions and procedures could be treated at this hospital. It boasts of specialties in critical procedures such as oncology and haematology, orthopaedics including spinal surgery, gastroenterology, general surgery, ophthalmology, ENT, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive surgery and intensive care.

It has seven major theatres and six dedicated wards for surgical operations in thoracic surgery, spinal, urology, gynaecology and orthopaedics.

With the clinic’s record of high-profile patients worldwide since its inception in 1932, it is no wonder that Buhari made it a place to be for his health needs. He was just eleven years old when the clinic was inaugurated.

Why Buhari Chose The London Clinic — A Presidential Pattern

Buhari first publicly visited The London Clinic in 2016, and then again multiple times over his presidency. Cumulatively, he spent 230 days abroad receiving care, raising domestic outcry in Nigeria about the state of local healthcare and transparency. Despite calls for full disclosure, the nature of his illness was never officially revealed.

His extended stays at The London Clinic reportedly cost millions in public funds — covering not only his treatment but also accommodations, security logistics, and medical evacuation.

Why Nigerian Politicians Rely on Foreign Hospitals

1. Failing Public Healthcare System

Nigeria’s public health institutions are overwhelmed — with underpaid staff, broken infrastructure, outdated equipment, and frequent strikes. Even the State House Clinic in Abuja, built for the president, has lacked basic supplies like syringes and paracetamol, according to whistleblower testimonies.

2. Privacy and Security Concerns

Many politicians feel unsafe disclosing their medical history within Nigeria, fearing political leaks or media exposure. Foreign hospitals offer confidentiality, control, and trusted foreign consultants.

3. Symbolism and Prestige

Accessing care in elite Western facilities has become a status symbol for Nigerian political and business elites. A stay at The London Clinic projects not only wealth but global elite membership — part of the political culture of “ruling above the people,” rather than with them.

4. Brain Drain and Flight of Medical Talent

Over 12,000 Nigerian-trained doctors work abroad, many in the UK, US, and Saudi Arabia. Ironically, Nigerian politicians are more likely to be treated by Nigerian-born professionals abroad than within the country.

The Ethical Dilemma: Leaders Who Abandon Their Own Systems

Buhari’s medical tourism contradicted his 2015 campaign promise to end foreign medical junkets. Yet, like his predecessors, he regularly left the country for check-ups and prolonged treatments — without ever fixing the health systems at home.

Critics argue that this not only betrays public trust, but it also diverts funding and legitimises poor infrastructure. When top officials won’t use Nigerian hospitals, the implication is clear: they’re not fit for purpose.

What Buhari’s Death at The London Clinic Symbolises

1. A National Leadership Crisis in Healthcare

   • If Nigeria’s most powerful man had to rely on a hospital 6,000 km away, what hope is there for the average citizen?

2. Institutional Hypocrisy

   • Even after billions were spent on the State House Medical Centre, it was reportedly unusable — while the president flew to London at taxpayer expense.

3. The Two Nigerias

   • Buhari’s death in a luxury suite in London represents the chasm between the political elite and ordinary Nigerians — the former receiving state-sponsored international treatment, the latter crowding into underfunded hospitals.

Where Do We Go From Here?

To avoid repeating this cycle, Nigeria must:

• Enforce accountability on public officials using state funds for private medical trips

• Reform and equip public healthcare — not just in policy but in daily operation

• Create an expectation that elected leaders must use and improve the institutions they govern

A Life That Ended Far From Home

President Muhammadu Buhari died at The London Clinic — a facility emblematic of global privilege and Western medical supremacy. While it ensured his comfort, it also starkly contrasted with the system he left behind: one where most Nigerians cannot afford basic health checks, let alone international travel.

His final destination — a quiet private suite in Marylebone — is more than just a hospital room. It’s a symbol of the widening gap between Nigerian governance and the lived realities of its citizens.