FIC Report (Nasarawa State) – Nasarawa State Governor Engnr Abdullahi Sule has performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the construction project, expansion and conversion of General Hospital Akwanga into a specialist hospital worth six billion naira.
The event for the ground breaking of the project was held recently in Akwanga local government, the Headquarters of Nasarawa North Senatorial Zone, attracted traditional rulers, political office holders, government officials and stakeholders from across the senatorial zone.
The project, with an initial sum of N6 billion already set aside by the State Government, will include a trauma centre and a five-storey building equipped with modern diagnostic facilities.
Governor Abdullahi Sule while Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, said that the decision to relocate and upgrade the facility to Akwanga was a deliberate move to spread tertiary healthcare infrastructure across the three senatorial zones of the state for fairness and efficiency.
He explained that, having established the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lafia and donated the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital to the Federal Government, it became necessary to create a new state-owned specialist hospital for the northern zone.
“We are fully aware that for many years, the residents of Akwanga and surrounding communities have depended on this hospital for basic medical services with all its challenges. But a healthy population is essential for economic growth,” the Governor said.
He pointed out that the facility when completed would significantly improve advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and create a more efficient, patient-centred environment that supports quality care.
Engr Sule also charged the contractor handling the project to deliver quality work within the agreed timeline, assuring them of prompt payment.
Governor Sule urged all governorship aspirants who intended to succeed him after his tenure in 2027 to see the project not just as his personal dream but as a collective dream for Nasarawa State and also called on them to ensure that they attended government functions such as this even without been formerly invited, so as to enable them understand the vision behind legacy projects, noting that while he might complete the first phase before leaving office, subsequent phases would require whoever takes over from him to continue.
Earlier in his welcoming speech, Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the day as historic, noting that since the creation of the state in 1996, no civilian governor had invested so heavily in tertiary healthcare such the present administration of governor Abdullahi Sule.
He mentioned some achievements of governor Sule in the health sector to includes, the employment of over 2,600 health workers and the recent approval for the recruitment of 272 nurses and 40 doctors for the new hospital.
“This place is going to be a state-owned specialist hospital that will be remodelled, upgraded and will start functioning before you leave office by the grace of God. You will be the only and the first civilian governor that has invested heavily in tertiary healthcare, and we are grateful for that,” Dr Gwamna said.
He also disclosed that the state’s health insurance scheme had been revitalised, with capitation payments to healthcare facilities increased to nearly double what they were receiving before.
On his part, the project consultant, Senator Hussaini Egyegbola, gave an insight into the scope of work, revealing that the existing structures would be brought back to functionality while new ones would be added.
He promised that upon completion, the five-storey building and trauma centre would be the best in the North Central region.
“The big elephant in the room is the trauma centre. We have trauma centres in Jos and Abuja, but we have designed this one in such a way that it is going to be a training and research centre where medical fellows will always come. The highest building here is going to be a five-storey building, a very modern facility that will attract international partners in healthcare delivery,” Egyegbola said.
He noted that the location of Akwanga at the centre of the state and the country, with major highways crossing the area, makes the trauma centre crucial for saving lives from frequent road accidents.
In a goodwill message, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, representing Nasarawa West, described the event as a vindication, recalling that despite being in a different political party during the last elections, he and his supporters campaigned for Governor Sule because they believed in his leadership qualities.
Signed
Solomon Mundung
EO Infor & PRO
EDITED BY
ARI, LIMAN AMINU.
Head of Centre,
FIC, LAFIA.
