Kwara gets FG’s multimillion-dollar diagnostic facility

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority  (NSIA) has signed an agreement with the Kwara Government to build medical diagnostic centre in Ilorin.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, on Tuesday in Ilorin.

The statement said the Commissioner for Health, Dr Raji Razaq, signed the agreement on behalf of the Kwara government.

It said the Diagnostics and Oncology Expansion Programme is to build, equip, maintain and operate a private modern medical diagnostic centre and catheterisation lab in Ilorin.

“Kwara is in the first phase of the programme along with Kaduna and Enugu states, with each centre running as a joint venture between Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the respective states.

“The programme is designed to curb medical tourism by providing Kwarans and Nigerians with access to world-class healthcare delivery.

“The result is the provision of high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to the local market creation of jobs and development/training on required clinical resources.

“The centre will be located in the existing Harmony Diagnostic Centre Complex along Asa Dam Road in Ilorin,” it explained.

The complex, the statement said, would be upgraded to be called the Asa Dam Medical Village, thereby creating a hub for several medical and pharmaceutical facilities.

It added that the project would position Kwara as “a new local alternative for quality healthcare.”

Former Managing Director, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr Uche Orji, said that the broader goal of the programme is to establish in two phases, a portfolio of 23 diagnostic centres, seven catheterisation labs and two oncology centres across Nigeria.

Orji appreciated Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his cooperation and willingness to partner with the NSIA on this new journey, which he said would upgrade the existing healthcare infrastructure in the state.

The project is estimated to cost the NSIA ahout $5.7 million.