One of the essential necessities a good government should provide for tax-paying citizens is free basic healthcare. In Nigeria, this remains largely a luxury that the majority of citizens cannot afford, resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths every year. A recent visit to a clinic was an eye-opener to the very high cost of basic health services. It showed that a single day of treatment involving checks of vitals, consultation and purchase of medications prescribed by the doctor can easily exceed Nigeria’s minimum wage. One is forced to ask how many Nigerians can realistically afford such a bill.