…Secures $2.2bn health investment, targets 17,000 PHC upgrades, 120,000 worker training
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) in Abuja. He described it as a symbol of African resilience, innovation, and a bold step toward making Nigeria a global healthcare hub.
At the ceremony, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President. He stated that the project goes beyond physical infrastructure. According to him, it reflects Nigeria’s refusal to accept medical vulnerability as a permanent reality.
Over $2.2bn Committed to Health Sector Renewal
President Tinubu highlighted progress in the health sector since taking office. In December 2023, his administration launched the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. Through this effort, Nigeria secured over $2.2 billion in funding.
The initiative aims to renovate more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres. It will also train 120,000 frontline health workers. Moreover, it is expected to double national health insurance coverage within three years.
“These are not aspirations,” Tinubu stressed. “These are milestones already in motion.”
The President also mentioned key reforms implemented in the past two years. These include an Executive Order to unlock the healthcare value chain. Additionally, the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) has begun to yield results.
As a result, pharmaceutical production has increased. Regulatory systems have improved. Access to diagnostics is expanding.
AMCE: A World-Class African Facility
The AMCE was developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London. It houses West Africa’s largest stem cell laboratory. Plans are also in place to expand the facility.
Future developments include a teaching hospital, a nursing school, and residential quarters for staff.
President Tinubu praised Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah. He called him a visionary leader who believed in African-led solutions.
President Tinubu stressed the need for supporting infrastructure. He noted that a hospital cannot function properly without roads, electricity, and connectivity. Therefore, the government is investing in these areas through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
Furthermore, the President said academic partnerships with King’s College London and the University of Wisconsin would help build a new generation of medical experts in Africa.
“With your planned Medical and Nursing School, you are laying the foundation for specialists who will be empowered at home, not exported,” he stated.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, also spoke. He said the AMCE marks a turning point. According to him, Nigeria is now healthier and wealthier than before.
He added that the project cost about $400 million, all mobilised through private sector efforts. “This facility is a marvel of science and modernity,” he said.
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, shared a personal story. He recalled being seriously ill and treated at King’s College Hospital in London. That experience, he said, inspired his vision to create a world-class facility in Africa.
He explained that the AMCE is part of a long-term strategy to transform African healthcare. It will offer top-tier care and promote innovation in the sector.
UK, African Leaders Welcome Project
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Montgomery, praised the project. He noted that it could reduce medical tourism by attracting patients within and outside Nigeria.
Other goodwill messages came from:
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan (represented by Dr. Jenista Joakim Mhagama)
Professor Clive Kay, CEO, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Tajudeen Raji, Acting Deputy Director General, Africa CDC
