By Precious Mark
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a series of health infrastructure projects worth approximately N540 billion to overhaul the National Hospital, Abuja, and build a state-of-the-art facility for the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the key approvals, the President’s Personal Assistant on Special Duties, Kamorudeen Yusuf, said in a statement on Thursday.
The intervention aims to elevate the National Hospital into a true quaternary healthcare institution, that is, a highly specialised referral centre that provides very advanced care, often for rare or complex cases that go beyond ordinary specialist treatment.
The move, the statement sai, will address decades of underinvestment in the hospital since its establishment nearly 25 years ago.
Under the approved project breakdown, Visible Construction Limited secured the contract worth N18.74 million for refitting the hospital’s administrative and management block, while construction of modular clinics and a comprehensive theatre complex valued at N64.92 billion was awarded to Strabbing Construction Limited.
Furthermore, CBC Global Civil Construction Limited was awarded a N103 billion contract to build a new hospital wing with a 24-month completion timeline. CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Limited will also handle the construction of a N69 billion Neuroscience Institute covering neurosurgery, specialized radiology, interventional care, and rehabilitation.
In addition, the council approved a N302.3 billion package for the design, construction, equipping, and commissioning of a flagship NICRAT facility, awarded to CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Limited with a 36-month execution timeline.
Prof. Pate explained that the project approvals align directly with President Tinubu’s directive to strengthen healthcare infrastructure nationwide, noting that funding is captured under National Assembly appropriations in the 2025 and 2026 budgets.
He emphasized that providing quality medical care requires sustained financial commitment to deliver visible transformation across the country’s health sector.