Nigeria Government Declares Health Infrastructure Critical as Finance Minister Commissions Diagnostic Centers in Bauchi

Nigeria Government Declares Health Infrastructure Critical as Finance Minister Commissions Diagnostic Centers in Bauchi

Goodness Ekpang

Bauchi (Core Reporters)-The Federal Government has described healthcare as a critical economic infrastructure, saying investment in the health of Nigerians is also an investment in the country’s human capital, productivity and long-term economic growth.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this on Monday during the commissioning of the NSIA MedServe diagnostic centers in Bauchi and Ibadan under the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) healthcare expansion programme.

Oyedele said the importance of investments goes beyond commissioned facilities, stressing that a healthy population is better able to work, learn and contribute productively to the economy, while illness places a heavy burden on families through medical expenses, loss of income and depletion of savings.

According to him, the projects also demonstrate how the government can use public capital to attract private financing and for the development of critical infrastructure.

“Public budgets alone cannot meet Nigeria’s development needs. The question cannot just be how much the government spends. It must also be how much private and development capital the government can mobilize.”

The Minister commended the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank Group for supporting the programme, particularly through long-term financing in local currency, which he said was suitable for long-term businesses whose revenues are generated in naira.

According to him, the financing model has the potential to be replicated in other priority sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, energy and housing.

Oyedele said NSIA’s previous investments in the healthcare sector demonstrated the extent of unmet demand for specialized medical services in Nigeria. He noted that the MedServe LUTH Cancer Center has treated more than 16,700 patients, delivered over 30,000 radiotherapy sessions and 25,000 chemotherapy treatments, while the Kano and Umuahia diagnostic centers had served more than 410,000 patients by December 2025.

He said MedServe is now developing 23 new diagnostic centers across the country in two phases, including three centers with oncology units and three with cardiac catheterization laboratories.

The minister said the expansion would bring specialized diagnostic and treatment services closer to Nigerians, reducing the burden of traveling long distances to receive treatment and, in some cases, seeking treatment outside the country.

He linked the investment to the federal government’s broader effort to reduce medical tourism and retain more economic value in Nigeria.

“Every procedure done domestically maintains value, jobs and skills in our economy and eases pressure on foreign exchange,” he said.

Oyedele, however, stressed that Nigeria’s ambition should go beyond reducing outbound medical tourism to building a competitive healthcare economy capable of serving patients within Nigeria and attracting patients from across Africa.

According to him, this would require sustained investments not only in buildings and medical equipment, but also in the people and systems needed to manage them effectively.

According to him, Nigeria must continuously retain and develop doctors, nurses, radiology technicians, laboratory scientists, technicians and other specialized healthcare professionals, while building national capabilities in medical technology, equipment maintenance and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

He said the success of investments should ultimately be judged by the results they deliver, rather than the number of facilities commissioned.

“The real test is whether the equipment will still work ten years from now, whether we will retain qualified staff, and whether patients will be treated with dignity, diagnosed earlier and able to afford the care they receive.”

The Minister said the investments are consistent with the broader objective of the federal government’s economic reforms, which is to translate macroeconomic stability into productive investment, improved public services and improved standards of living.

“Macroeconomic stability is not the destination. It is the foundation. We are converting stability into investment, investment into services, and growth into better lives.”

He commended the NSIA and MedServe teams, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Bauchi and Oyo State Governments, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, relevant health institutions in Ibadan, IFC and other partners for the implementation of the projects.

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnerships that mobilize capital, strengthen critical infrastructure and transform economic reforms into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.