“Healthcare is a Joke in This Country” – Cubana Chief Priest Laments After Spending Over ₦700k on Medications in Lagos

Nigerian nightlife entrepreneur and socialite, Cubana Chief Priest, has once again stirred nationwide conversation, this time not about parties, luxury, or celebrity friendships, but about the state of healthcare in Nigeria. Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, massive gatherings, and outspoken opinions on social issues, the nightlife boss shocked many when he took to his Instagram to lament bitterly about his frustrating experience at two Lagos hospitals. His candid words, “Honestly, healthcare is a joke in this country,” have since gone viral, resonating with countless Nigerians who have long struggled with the inadequacies of the nation’s health sector.

Narrating his ordeal, Cubana Chief Priest disclosed that he had walked into a hospital in Ikoyi, one he had patronized for years, feeling very sick. After completing his vital signs check, he was made to wait for over an hour, yet no doctor showed up to attend to him. For a man of his profile and resources, one would have expected quicker attention, but his frustration highlighted what ordinary Nigerians go through on a daily basis. He noted that he decided against mentioning the name of the hospital publicly because, in his words, “I understand what business is all about.” But his silence on the hospital’s name did little to soften the impact of his complaint; the message was loud and clear — Nigerian healthcare is failing its people.

His troubles did not end there. Feeling the urgent need for treatment, the businessman drove to another hospital in Lekki hoping for better service. Instead of immediate medical attention, he was told he had to fill out a long online form before he could be granted access to see a doctor. The stress and delay were too much for him to bear, especially while sick and needing urgent care. Frustrated by the bureaucracy and lack of swift action, Cubana Chief Priest made the decision to abandon the hospitals altogether. He resorted to purchasing his medications directly from a pharmacy, Medplus, spending over ₦700,000 on drugs for typhoid and malaria. For him, it was another stark reminder that in Nigeria, survival often depends not on the quality of public systems but on individual wealth and God’s grace. “Na God dey save person for this country,” he remarked bitterly, pointing to the divine as the ultimate protector in a system that repeatedly fails its citizens.

His revelation has since ignited heated debates on social media, with many Nigerians sharing their own harrowing encounters with hospitals. From being abandoned on waiting room benches to losing loved ones because of unavailable doctors, delayed treatment, or requests for deposits before emergencies are handled, the stories pouring in are both heartbreaking and infuriating. Nigerians across social classes could relate to Cubana Chief Priest’s ordeal, and while some criticized him for only speaking up now because the system failed him directly, others applauded him for using his platform to spotlight an issue that affects millions.

Healthcare in Nigeria has long been under scrutiny. Despite billions of naira allocated yearly to the health sector, the system continues to crumble under the weight of mismanagement, poor infrastructure, underpaid staff, and lack of medical equipment. Stories of patients being turned away at emergency wards, doctors going on strike for unpaid salaries, and patients being forced to buy basic supplies such as gloves and syringes are sadly commonplace. For years, medical tourism has become the norm among Nigeria’s wealthy elite, who prefer to fly abroad for everything from routine checkups to major surgeries. Cubana Chief Priest himself admitted that he plans to get “proper healthcare” when he travels to the UK. This statement, though casual, reflects a painful reality: the average Nigerian cannot afford the luxury of flying out of the country for treatment, and those left behind are stuck with a system that too often does not work.

What made Cubana Chief Priest’s lament particularly powerful was his transparency about the cost. Spending ₦700,000 on medications for malaria and typhoid underscores how expensive treatment has become in Nigeria, even for common illnesses that should ordinarily be affordable. With inflation and the rising cost of drugs, millions of Nigerians cannot even dream of affording such an amount. For many families, ₦700,000 represents several months of income, and the idea of paying that much just for malaria and typhoid medications feels like an impossible burden. His complaint, therefore, highlighted not only the inefficiency of hospitals but also the crippling cost of treatment in a country where poverty is widespread.

The public response has also drawn attention to the issue of medical brain drain. Thousands of Nigerian doctors and nurses have left the country in search of better pay and working conditions abroad, leaving hospitals severely understaffed. This explains, in part, why patients often wait endlessly for doctors who are either unavailable or overwhelmed by the sheer number of cases. The situation has become so dire that even wealthy Nigerians like Cubana Chief Priest are no longer immune to the consequences. His story illustrates that money can only go so far when the system itself is broken.

Many Nigerians online have also pointed out the irony in the government officials who regularly tout reforms and investments in healthcare while flying abroad for their own medical needs. To the public, Cubana Chief Priest’s experience serves as yet another reminder that the Nigerian health sector remains one of the weakest links in the country’s development chain. His blunt words, “healthcare is a joke,” may have been an emotional outburst, but to many, it perfectly sums up years of frustration and disappointment.

For now, Cubana Chief Priest says he is relying on the medications he purchased and is looking forward to receiving proper treatment in the UK. While his wealth allows him that option, the reality for millions of ordinary Nigerians remains bleak. They cannot escape the broken system, cannot afford the soaring cost of drugs, and cannot rely on government facilities that are often under-equipped and understaffed. His story may have trended because of his celebrity status, but the truth it exposed is one that every Nigerian knows too well.

The nightlife boss has built his reputation on extravagance and entertainment, but with this experience, he has inadvertently sparked a sobering national conversation. Whether his words will translate into meaningful action by authorities remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: his ordeal has once again spotlighted the urgency of reform in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. Until that happens, as Cubana Chief Priest painfully admitted, it remains God — not the system — who saves Nigerians.