The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved several major infrastructure projects for the National Hospital, Abuja, as part of efforts to upgrade the facility into a quaternary healthcare institution capable of providing highly specialised and complex medical services.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting. He said the approvals followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to advanced medical services across the country.
Pate said the National Hospital, which was established about 25 years ago, had not received the level of investment in infrastructure and modern medical equipment required to fully realise its original vision.
Among the approved projects is the refitting of the hospital’s administrative and management block at a cost of N18.74 million, with the contract awarded to Visible Construction Limited.
The council also approved N64.92 billion for the construction of modular clinics and a theatre complex to provide specialised facilities for different medical specialties. The contract was awarded to Strabbing Construction Limited.
A further N103 billion was approved for the construction of a new wing at the National Hospital, with CBC Global Civil Construction Limited expected to complete the project within 24 months.
FEC also approved N69 billion for the construction of a Neuroscience Institute at the hospital. The facility, awarded to CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Limited, will provide specialised infrastructure for neurosurgery, radiology, interventional procedures and rehabilitation.
Pate said the institute would enhance the country’s capacity to treat complex neurological conditions, including stroke, brain tumours and other diseases affecting the brain and nervous system.
Meanwhile, the council approved a N302.3 billion contract for the design, construction, furnishing, equipping, supervision and inauguration of a new National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) centre.
The contract was awarded to CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Limited, with a completion period of 36 months. The facility is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for cancer research, treatment, innovation and professional training.
According to Pate, the new NICRAT centre will serve as a flagship national institution for cancer research and treatment. He added that appropriations for the project had already been made in the 2025 and 2026 budgets.
The minister noted that the National Hospital and NICRAT projects are funded through appropriations made by the National Assembly to the relevant agencies and institutions, rather than directly through the Federal Ministry of Health.
He said the projects were aimed at transforming the National Hospital into a world-class specialised medical institution while providing Nigerians with improved access to advanced cancer diagnosis, research and treatment services.
