Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) yesterday signed agreements for the expansion of its diagnostics and oncology programme through the Healthcare Development and Investment Company (NHDIC).
The eight collocation agreements in total will include lease and collaboration agreements with three Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) and three state governments under phase one of the expansion.
The state governments are Enugu, Kaduna and Kwara states while the selected, medical centres include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi and Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
Other FMCs include the Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom and University College Hospital Board of Management, Oyo state.
According to the organisation, the event was attended by the Managing Director, NSIA, Uche Orji, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Cecilia Ezeilo as well as representatives of governors of Kwara, Kaduna states and Medical Directors of the Teaching Hospitals.
The broader goal of the programme, it said, is to establish, in two phases, a portfolio of 23 diagnostic centres, seven catheterisation labs and two oncology centres across Nigeria.
Pursuant to the agreements, NSIA said that funds will be deployed to build, equip, maintain, and operate catheterisation labs in Kwara, Oyo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Delta states.
In addition, it stated that it will build, equip, maintain, and operate private modern medical diagnostic centres in Enugu, Kaduna, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Delta states; and build, equip, maintain, and operate an oncology centre for advanced radiotherapy treatment
Each centre, it said, will run as a joint venture between NSIA and the respective tertiary hospital to ensure timely and efficient delivery of services.
The investments are expected to build new and upgrade these institutions to modern medical centres and significantly enhance Nigeria’s ability to treat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), it said.
Speaking at the event, the NSIA boss said the investments will provide access to advanced healthcare services for the benefit of lower-income families with limited access to care
He said the programme was created having identified critical infrastructure gaps through a comprehensive assessment of the sector.
Furthermore, he noted that the move aligns with the NSIA’s NHDIC strategy to invest in the sector through the establishment of diagnostic centres and tertiary healthcare centres.
According to Orji, the enhanced diagnostic capabilities will improve medical intervention in the country and in the respective catchment areas of the partner federal teaching hospitals.
When these centres become operational, he said they will deliver additional development impact for Nigerians through the provision of high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare
The proposed projects present a disruptive healthcare strategy, as it will bring about the provision of high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to the local market, as well as development/training on the required clinical resources in Nigeria and bring quality healthcare to many
