NIGERIA – President Bola Tinubu has commissioned ten new medical infrastructure projects at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, as part of ongoing efforts to improve Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
Represented by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to building a stronger, more accessible health system for all Nigerians.
He said the government’s goal is to ensure every citizen can access quality and affordable medical services.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, Prof. Pate noted that similar projects are underway in all federal teaching hospitals, medical centres, and specialized hospitals across the country.
“This is just one example. Across Nigeria’s federal tertiary hospitals, similar infrastructure improvements are happening,” he said.
He explained that in the last two years, progress has been made in upgrading hospital facilities, providing modern medical equipment, hiring skilled professionals, and improving health systems to deliver better services.
Investment in cancer care and primary health
President Tinubu also highlighted plans to enhance cancer treatment services, revealing that six major cancer-related projects are being developed.
Three of these will be launched next month, while the other three are expected to be completed before the end of the third quarter.
Additionally, he stressed that primary healthcare remains a top priority. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than 37 million visits were recorded at primary healthcare centres supported by the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
Other improvements include the reimbursement of over 4,000 caesarean procedures and the expansion of health insurance, which has seen more than 2.4 million Nigerians newly enrolled under the national scheme.
Commending leadership at UATH
President Tinubu praised the leadership of UATH, especially the Chief Medical Director, Professor Bissallah Ekele, for the positive developments at the hospital.
Prof. Ekele acknowledged the federal government’s timely support, which has boosted infrastructure upgrades and staff motivation.
“Our budget has increased, and funds are released promptly. This has helped us buy new equipment for patient care, teaching, and staff welfare,” Ekele said. He added that UATH plays a key role in clinical care, teaching, training, and research.
The hospital now trains medical, nursing, and laboratory science students and also runs a unique remediation programme for foreign-trained medical graduates.
In 2023, 90 out of 94 candidates in the programme passed the national exam.
Overview of the commissioned projects
The ten newly commissioned projects include:
Prof. Ekele also revealed that the hospital had received approval for a new MRI machine and a building to house it.
He appealed for solar energy support to ensure a reliable and sustainable power supply at the facility.
Dr. Ikechukwu Odikpo, Chairman of the UATH Board, expressed optimism that the ongoing development and the President’s vision would make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.
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