FG Positions Healthcare as Economic Infrastructure as NSIA Commissions Diagnostic Centres in Bauchi, Ibadan
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Government has described healthcare as critical economic infrastructure, saying sustained investment in the sector is essential to strengthening human capital, productivity and Nigeria’s long-term economic growth.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this on Monday at the commissioning of NSIA MedServe Diagnostic Centres in Bauchi and Ibadan under the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority’s (NSIA) Healthcare Expansion Programme. The development was disclosed in a press release issued by Efe Ovuakporie, Head of Information and Public Relations Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance, on October 5, 2026.
Oyedele said the significance of the projects extended beyond the physical facilities, noting that a healthy population is better positioned to work, learn and contribute productively to the economy, while illness imposes heavy costs on families through medical bills, lost income and depleted savings.
He said the projects demonstrated how public capital could be deployed to attract private and development financing for critical infrastructure, stressing that government alone could not meet the country’s development needs.
“Government budgets alone cannot meet Nigeria’s development needs. The question cannot only be how much government spends. It must also be how much private and development capital government can mobilise,” Oyedele said.
The Minister commended the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank Group for supporting the programme, particularly through long-term local-currency financing, which he said was appropriate for long-term assets whose revenues are generated in naira. He added that the model could be replicated in sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, energy and housing.
According to him, previous NSIA healthcare investments had demonstrated the scale of unmet demand for specialised medical services in Nigeria. He said the MedServe LUTH Cancer Centre had treated more than 16,700 patients, delivered over 30,000 radiotherapy sessions and 25,000 chemotherapy treatments, while diagnostic centres in Kano and Umuahia had served more than 410,000 patients by December 2025.
Oyedele disclosed that MedServe was developing 23 new diagnostic centres nationwide in two phases, including three centres with oncology units and three equipped with cardiac catheterisation laboratories.
He said the expansion would bring specialised diagnostic and treatment services closer to Nigerians, reduce the burden of travelling long distances for medical care and help curb the need for Nigerians to seek treatment abroad.
“Every procedure performed at home keeps value, jobs and expertise in our economy and eases pressure on foreign exchange,” he said.
Oyedele, however, said Nigeria’s ambition should extend beyond reducing outbound medical tourism to building a competitive healthcare economy capable of serving Nigerians and attracting patients from other African countries.
He stressed that achieving this would require sustained investment in medical facilities and equipment, as well as in doctors, nurses, radiographers, laboratory scientists, technicians and other specialised healthcare professionals. He also called for stronger domestic capacity in medical technology, equipment maintenance and pharmaceutical production.
The Minister said the ultimate measure of the investments should be the quality and sustainability of healthcare outcomes rather than the number of facilities commissioned.
“The real test is whether the equipment still works in ten years, whether we retain qualified staff, and whether patients are treated with dignity, diagnosed earlier and able to afford the care they receive,” he said.
Oyedele linked the healthcare investments to the broader economic reform agenda of the Federal Government, saying the objective was to convert macroeconomic stability into productive investment, improved public services and better living standards.
“Macroeconomic stability is not the destination. It is the foundation. We are converting stability into investment, investment into services, and growth into better lives,” he said.
He congratulated the NSIA and MedServe teams, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Bauchi and Oyo State Governments, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, relevant healthcare institutions in Ibadan, the IFC and other partners for delivering the projects.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to partnerships capable of mobilising capital, strengthening critical infrastructure and translating economic reforms into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
