FIC REPORT (ABIA STATE) – Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chima Otti, OFR, has called for stronger collaboration among the state government, federal tertiary hospitals and other medical institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and advance the proposed Abia Medical City.
Governor Otti made the call in Umuahia while receiving members of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria, who were in Abia for their 115th quarterly meeting.
Represented by his Deputy, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, the Governor welcomed the medical leaders to the state and described their decision to hold the meeting in Abia as a vote of confidence in the transformation taking place across the state.
He said the quarterly meeting provided a valuable opportunity for medical directors to benchmark best practices, share experiences and collectively address the challenges confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Otti said his administration was deliberately changing the narrative about Abia by creating an environment that promotes investment, innovation, knowledge exchange and healthcare partnerships.
According to him, the administration recognises healthcare as fundamental to human dignity and economic development, noting that the state has consistently allocated 15 per cent of its annual budget to the sector.
He said the government had recruited hundreds of healthcare professionals and continued the revitalisation and functionalisation of primary healthcare centres across the state through Project Ekwueme and other interventions.
The Governor added that the administration was restructuring and upgrading specialist and tertiary healthcare institutions, including the Abia State Specialist Hospital, Amachara Specialist Hospital and Omo-Na-Nta Specialist Hospital.
He further stated that the government was embracing technology and innovation to expand access to healthcare and improve the delivery of medical services.
Otti noted that recent federal health performance data had placed Abia among the better-performing states in maternal and infant healthcare outcomes. However, he stressed that his administration was not satisfied with merely improving on the state’s previous performance.
“Our ambition is to build a healthcare system that can compete with the best anywhere in Africa and internationally,” he said.
The Governor disclosed that the state was also pursuing strategic partnerships with medical institutions, development partners, professional bodies, diaspora organisations and private investors.
He cited the proposed partnership with an Egyptian pharmaceutical company seeking to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Abia, saying the investment would boost local pharmaceutical production, create employment, stimulate economic activity and facilitate technology transfer.
Otti appealed to the visiting CMDs and MDs to partner with the state government in actualising the vision of the Abia Medical City.
He explained that the Medical City would extend beyond the construction of hospitals to create an integrated healthcare ecosystem comprising tertiary and specialist medical services, medical education, research, diagnostics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical technology, accommodation and other allied services.
He said the expertise, professional networks and institutional knowledge of the medical leaders would be invaluable to the successful implementation of the ambitious project.
The Governor also encouraged stronger collaboration between federal teaching hospitals and healthcare institutions in Abia, urging the medical leaders to explore the opportunities available in the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria, Prof. Saad Ahmed, said the committee chose Abia as the venue for its 115th meeting to enable members to assess developments in the state and examine the performance of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.
Prof. Ahmed, who led approximately 85 CMDs and MDs to the state, said the committee holds quarterly meetings in different parts of the country to enable federal tertiary hospitals to benchmark their activities, exchange best practices, identify challenges and develop strategies for improving healthcare delivery.
He said the choice of Abia also provided members with an opportunity to observe the state’s ongoing development initiatives and learn from its approach to governance and community development.
The committee chairman commended the Abia State Government for its achievements in the health sector, particularly the upgrading of primary healthcare centres and general hospitals, recruitment of essential healthcare workers, expansion of the health insurance scheme and improvements in emergency and ambulance services.
He also praised the collaboration between the state government and the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, describing it as an example of effective cooperation between federal and state institutions in improving healthcare delivery.
Prof. Ahmed said members of the committee were impressed by the transformation they witnessed in Abia, including improvements in road infrastructure and other essential social services.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Prof. Onyebuchi Azubuike, said the meeting was designed to enable members to assess the host hospital, identify areas requiring improvement, exchange ideas and replicate successful practices across federal tertiary hospitals.
He said FMC Umuahia was partnering with the Abia State Government across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare to ensure that residents have access to reliable, high-quality healthcare services.
Azubuike disclosed that the Abia State Government was constructing a 20-room VIP ward at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, describing the project as a significant intervention that would improve clinical practice and enhance patient care.
He also commended Governor Otti for his prompt intervention following the breakdown of the hospital’s two oxygen plants, noting that the Governor responded swiftly to the hospital’s request for assistance.
The CMD expressed appreciation to the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, Commissioner for Health and other officials for their continued support for the FMC and the state’s healthcare sector.
The 115th quarterly meeting is expected to produce a communique outlining key challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem, recommendations and possible solutions for presentation to relevant authorities for consideration and implementation.
Amah Ijeoma
FIC Correspondent office of the Deputy Governor.
08/09/2026
