Private medical facilities in Edo State are struggling under severe financial distress caused by multiple taxation, duplicated licensing fees, and harassment from non-health state agencies, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has revealed.

Addressing journalists in Benin City on August 2, 2026, during his inaugural address, Edo NMA Chairman Dr Andrew Eigbedion warned that oppressive tax burdens threaten private medical practice, which delivers over 60 per cent of outpatient healthcare services across Nigeria.

Dr Eigbedion formally directed private practitioners in the state to resist demands from local government councils, environmental ministries, and outdoor advertising agencies, citing protection under the 2017 Edo State Law on Private Practice.

“A State cannot tax its hospitals into extinction and still expect healthier citizens. That is neither economically wise nor socially sustainable,” Dr Eigbedion stated.

He noted that soaring inflation in pharmaceuticals, medical consumables, diagnostic equipment, and diesel generator costs has pushed clinics to the brink. Calling on Governor Monday Okpebholo to harmonise collections, eliminate illegal levies, and introduce targeted tax reliefs for compliance-minded health facilities, he stressed that keeping private hospitals solvent prevents catastrophic congestion in public facilities.