In the heart of Nigeria’s crowded markets, where traders often work from sunrise to nightfall, healthcare is frequently sacrificed for the demands of daily business. Recognizing this gap, Dr. Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo launched Market Doctors in 2017, a mobile health initiative that delivers affordable, on-the-spot medical care directly to market traders.
With a team of 17 staff and hundreds of volunteers, Market Doctors has reached over 400,000 people across Lagos and beyond, offering services such as blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, malaria testing, health consultations, and minor treatments. Patients pay a nominal fee, with support from private and corporate donations helping to cover operational costs. “People were discharging themselves from hospitals against medical advice simply because they couldn’t afford care or couldn’t access it in time,” said Dr. Ayo-Oyalowo. “So we decided to take healthcare to them—in their own environment, where they feel safe and where we eliminate hidden costs like transport and lost income.”
The clinics, often set up in busy markets like Balogun and Mile 12, are designed to minimize disruption to traders’ work while addressing long-ignored health issues. By bringing healthcare into “people’s natural habitat,” as Ayo-Oyalowo puts it, the initiative sidesteps the barriers of cost, distance, and time that prevent many Nigerians from accessing primary care.
The need is urgent. Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio is far below World Health Organization recommendations, with just 4 doctors per 10,000 people, compared to the WHO’s minimum standard of 10. In such a system, preventive and community-based healthcare models like Market Doctors are filling critical gaps. As word of the initiative spreads, Market Doctors is becoming a trusted name among Lagos traders—one that blends health with hustle, ensuring care doesn’t come at the cost of commerce.
