President Bola Tinubu has officially commissioned ten new medical infrastructure projects at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) in Gwagwalada, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to revamping Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
Represented at Thursday’s event by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, President Tinubu highlighted the initiative as part of a broader national strategy to provide affordable and quality healthcare services to all citizens.
He noted that these developments are not isolated to UATH alone, as similar projects are currently underway across all Federal Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, and specialised healthcare institutions nationwide.
“This is just one example. Across all federal tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, similar projects are ongoing,” said Professor Pate, underlining the government’s systemic approach to healthcare reform.
He explained that over the past two years, the federal government has intensified efforts to modernise hospital infrastructure, upgrade medical equipment, enhance workforce capacity, and streamline service delivery in order to improve access to affordable and effective healthcare.
“It’s a long journey, but we are just beginning under this President,” he added.
Turning attention to cancer care, President Tinubu disclosed the expansion of six critical cancer treatment infrastructure projects, with three due for commissioning next month and the remainder expected to be completed by the third quarter of the year. He also reaffirmed his administration’s focus on strengthening primary healthcare services across the country.
“In the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than 37 million visits were recorded at primary healthcare centres covered under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund,” he said. He also reported that more than 4,000 caesarean sections had been reimbursed through government-supported programmes and that over 2.4 million additional Nigerians have been enrolled in the national health insurance scheme.
Commending the leadership at UATH, President Tinubu praised the efforts of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Bissallah Ekele, and his team for their contributions to enhancing healthcare service delivery.
In his remarks, Professor Ekele attributed much of the hospital’s recent progress to consistent support from the Federal Ministry of Health, noting that timely funding and approvals had significantly boosted clinical services, teaching, and staff morale.
“The Federal Ministry of Health has been very supportive. In the past two years, our appropriation has increased with prompt fund releases. Whenever we submit proposals, they are approved, which has enabled us to acquire equipment for clinical services, teaching, and staff welfare,” he said.
He explained that UATH provides a comprehensive blend of clinical services, training, teaching, and research, offering a wide range of medical specialties and supported by a robust laboratory system.
“We train undergraduate medical, nursing, and recently, laboratory science students. One unique programme we offer is the remediation programme for foreign-trained medical graduates, organised by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Last year, 94 candidates participated, and 90 passed the qualifying exam held in Ibadan,” he added.
Professor Ekele listed the ten newly commissioned projects, which include the renovation and furnishing of the male surgical ward, refurbishment of a 34-bed male medical ward, renovation of the family planning unit, and the establishment of a six-bed intensive care unit (ICU). Other additions include the construction and equipping of an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) unit, a 50-room residential block for interns, a 50-room call duty block, installation of a CT scan machine, construction of a staff quarters block, and various additional infrastructure and medical equipment.
He also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Health for approving the acquisition of an MRI machine and a new building to house it, while appealing for solar energy solutions to ensure sustainable power supply at the hospital.
Dr Ikechukwu Odikpo, Board Chairman of UATH, concluded by affirming that with the pace of development and the current administration’s vision, access to affordable healthcare will soon become a reality for all Nigerians.