I had been in a private specialist medical practice for a decade before I was elected the President of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners in 1998. Available statistics, then and now, show that private medical practitioners provided 70% of the medical care for more than 200 million Nigerians. My office was inundated with inquiries from patients and general/family physicians seeking the contact details of private consultant physicians for timely, affordable medical care or second opinions, both locally and internationally. This led to the creation of an in-house directory of private consultant physicians, which we consulted frequently. Inquiries increased year-on-year, leading to the registration of “Top Pros Company” on 2nd of November 2004 as a publishing company specializing in directories for different professionals. The registration number was LAZ. 165040 and the publisher identifier issued by the National Library of Nigeria on 5^th September 2005 is 38402.

With colleagues nationwide, I created a directory of private consultant physicians in Nigeria, which has since been published in several editions. This year, Top Pros has decided to publish a global online directory of private consulting physicians due to positive developments in international health.

Two salutary events that happened in 2021 have shaped the course of modern medicine in developing countries, including Nigeria. The covid 19 pandemic reached its peak in 2021, “the COVID moment”. During the pandemic, Nigerian doctors stood up to the challenge and performed creditably, achieving good results in treating COVID-19 patients. The success stories galvanized the Federal Government
of Nigeria, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, to boost private medical practice with soft loans. The private sector followed suit, investing heavily in private hospitals, and, in just four years, the private health sector in Nigeria has reached an international level of sophistication. This has resulted in a 95% decrease in the money Nigerians spend on international medical tourism. Now, many private hospitals in Nigeria are on par with the best in advanced countries in many specialties, though at about one-fourth the international cost.

This global directory, among others, will help spread the good news of increased medical capacity in the third world, including Nigeria, enabling the global poor to access international experts and affordable care. Private consultants and hospitals globally should inform the public about their skills and facilities. 

I, the editor of the directory, have been in medical practice for 48 years and have been a private consultant urologist for 39 years, with international exposure. My experience satisfies the needs of the global audience. I have written three books, including “Prostate Diseases: What Every Man Must Know” (2018), which holds a 4+ international rating on Amazon.com. The book was listed among the eight best prostate books of all time by Book Authority and CNN in 2021.  My private website is ogahurology.com.

It is expected that the use of this directory will continue to boost telemedicine, reduce the cost of medical care, and lower global morbidity and mortality.

Everyone is encouraged to subscribe to this directory today. Registration is free. Those who desire extra features may opt for a premium subscription for a moderate fee.

I wish you all a rewarding experience.