FG Executes 500 Health Projects in Two Years, Commissions Three World-Class Cancer Centres — Health Minister Pate
The Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully delivered over 500 health infrastructure projects across the country in the last two years, marking a significant stride in its commitment to revitalizing the nation’s healthcare system. This was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, during the commissioning of a new state-of-the-art oncology centre at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State.
According to the minister, a total of 501 projects have been executed in 61 federal tertiary hospitals nationwide. These include renovations, diagnostic upgrades, equipment installation, and overall facility enhancement aimed at improving the quality of healthcare delivery and patient outcomes across Nigeria.
One of the flagship milestones under this health transformation agenda is the commissioning of three world-class cancer treatment centres located in Benin, Katsina, and Nsukka. The centre in Benin, inaugurated this week, is the third to come on stream, following earlier commissions of the facilities at the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka.
These cancer centres are part of a broader plan by the federal government to establish six fully equipped oncology facilities across Nigeria to address the growing burden of cancer and drastically reduce the need for medical tourism. The initiative, launched in 2024 with a ₦37.4 billion allocation, is designed to provide comprehensive cancer diagnosis, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy services to thousands of Nigerians annually.
Each centre is projected to cater to at least 2,000 cancer patients and conduct over 350,000 diagnostic procedures every year. The government also intends to train up to 500 health professionals to manage these centres over the next three years, enhancing national capacity in oncology care.
To ensure affordability, the National Health Insurance Authority has introduced a radiotherapy subsidy of up to ₦400,000 per patient for eligible Nigerians. Additionally, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has played a key role in equipment procurement, helping the government secure vital cancer treatment tools at a 30% cost reduction through direct negotiation with manufacturers.
Three more oncology centres, currently under construction in Lagos, Jos, and Zaria, are expected to be completed and operational by World Cancer Day in February 2026, as part of the government’s phased rollout plan.
Professor Pate emphasized that these achievements reflect the administration’s commitment to shifting from empty promises to measurable progress, and pledged that more would be done to strengthen the nation’s health system, improve access to care, and ease the financial burden of critical illness on Nigerian families.
The commissioning of the Benin centre and the execution of hundreds of health projects signal a new chapter in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system one aimed at equity, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
