FG Delivers 500 Health Projects in Two Years
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has announced that Nigeria has executed over 500 health-related projects within the past two years, alongside the establishment of three world-class cancer centres.
Prof. Pate made this known on Thursday during the inauguration of a state-of-the-art Oncology Centre at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital UBTH in Benin City.
According to him, Nigeria's health sector has undergone a historic transformation in the last two years under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The minister described the achievements as a bold shift from rhetoric to action in Nigeria's healthcare delivery.
"In two years, we have embarked on a landmark transformation of Nigeria's health sector.
"We have delivered three world-class oncology centres, with the one here in Benin as the third, and three others are ongoing and ant advanced stages in Zaria, Jos, and Lagos," he said.
The minister explained that the Federal Government had so far implemented 501 projects across 61 federal tertiary hospitals and revitalised so many primary healthcare centres nationwide, including those in Edo.
Prof. Pate said that the infrastructure revolution in the sector was made possible by President Tinubu's decision to prioritise the wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians.
"This President chose the sector that affects the lives of the ordinary citizen and decided to make that impact
"We have spent decades without investing in this manner. But this President decided to take the bull by the horn," he said
The minister also credited the success to recent economic reforms, which had expanded fiscal space for public investment.
"Thanks to the coordinating minister of the economy and his economic management team, the painful reforms have borne fruit.
"That is how the resources are now available for the Federal Government to invest in health, education, and for states to invest in other ways."
Highlighting the efficiency of the cancer centre project, Pate disclosed that through the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority NSIA, world-class equipment was procured at significant savings.
"We got a 30 per cent discount from the original equipment manufacturers. Imagine the savings to the Nigerian public and it was delivered and executed on time," he added.
Also speaking at the event, Mr Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, said President Tinubu's reforms were yielding tangible results in the health sector, with Nigerians no longer needing to travel abroad for cancer treatment.
"Today, the Nigerian no longer has to look abroad, has to look to a far distance in order to get treatment, to prevent, to treat and to help them survive this dreaded disease called cancer," Edun said.
He said the six geopolitical zones of the country were benefiting from similar oncology projects, with strong partnerships between federal and subnational governments as well as the private sector.
"Our duty is to sustain this effort. We must look after these facilities and machines and ensure that they deliver what they were built for," he stated.
On his part, the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, said the newly commissioned oncology centre was a product of "visionary leadership, strategic partnership and deliberate investment."
According to him, the centre will be a game-changer for cancer treatment in southern Nigeria and beyond.
He revealed that over 4,300 cancer patients were seen at UBTH in 2024 alone, underscoring the urgent need for functional radiotherapy equipment.
"For 10 years, our cobalt radiation machine was down. Today, that challenge has been solved. This centre will serve not just Edo people, but all Nigerians," he said.
Prof. Obaseki added that more than 259 patients had benefited from the National Cancer Access Programme, with over N430 million spent on treatment and diagnostics in recent years.
He praised the Minister of Health and partners like the NSIA, MedServe, and the Federal Government for their commitments to the health sector.
The report say that the new UBTH Oncology Centre is equipped with modern radiotherapy and chemotherapy facilities, positioning it as one of Nigeria's most advanced cancer treatment hubs.