African Medical Centre to provide 50,000,000 healthcare services annually

In a statement signed by the Chief Press secretary, office of the FCT permanent secretary, Tony Odey, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola gave the charge during a one-day workshop to finalise the host country agreement for the African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.

The permanent secretary further explained that, such gesture would also help to provide about 3,000,000 jobs during construction and operational stages to the unemployed youths within the nation’s capital.

Adesola stated that this health intervention would complement government’s giant strides in the healthcare sector.

Adesola, therefore called on various  international organisations carrying out construction activities in Nigeria seat of of power to adhere strictly to all approved development control guidelines that has been put in place in the territory.

He explained that the call became  necessary considering the fact that there could be tendency for some international organisations embarking on construction work to contravene certain development guidelines.

The Permanent Secretary further reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration to provide the enabling environment for genuine investors to take advantage of. 

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health Malam Mashi Abdulaziz pledged the continuous support of Nigerian Government for the completion of the project.

Abdulaziz explained further that the workshop will provide participants better understanding of both the short term and long benefits of the project.

Earlier, the Regional Chief Operating Officer of Afreximbank, Mr. Abdoulaye Kone explained that the proposed medical Centre will serve both Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

Mr Kone said that the establishment of the AMCE will go a long way in conserving the continent’s foreign reserves which are currently being expended on medical tourism abroad.

Nigeria was selected in 2017 as the host country for the first African Medical Centre of Excellence, following a competitive bidding process in which Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania also participated.

The AMCE plans to offer a full range of medical services; such as diagnostic; treatment, nuclear medicine, surgery and post-surgical care, along with complimentary specialist services covering oncology, hematological diseases (including sickle cell and blood cancers) and cardiovascular ailments.

The project is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021 and commissioning is expected to be done in the first quarter of 2024.

Already, the FCT Administration had allocated 5.12 hectares of land for the successful take off of the project.