President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of more than 8,800 new Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria and the upgrade of existing tertiary institutions to manage trauma, oncology, and infectious disease control.
This development is part of a broad health sector renewal initiative aimed at strengthening the nation’s healthcare delivery.
The announcement was made by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima on Saturday during the commissioning of the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, Ogun State.
During his remarks, Vice President Shettima highlighted the critical role of private sector collaboration in driving ongoing health sector reforms and addressing existing deficits across the country.
“The government alone cannot shoulder this burden,” Shettima stated, calling on philanthropists and corporate bodies to support national health efforts.
He described the newly commissioned trauma centre as a vital addition to Nigeria’s emergency care infrastructure and a testament to the government’s dedication to improving health outcomes.
“In a nation facing rising urbanisation, motorisation, and industrial risks, trauma care is no longer optional—it is essential,” the Vice President said. “This centre is more than a birthday gift; it is a gift to humanity. It is a lifeline—a sanctuary where the wounded can find healing, and where families in despair can find hope.”
Shettima further explained that President Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative not only includes the construction of the new PHCs but also focuses on equipping tertiary healthcare institutions for improved service delivery in trauma care, oncology, and infectious disease management.
“The Administration is investing in a National Health Insurance Scheme that leaves no Nigerian behind, and a Digital Health Information Management System that ensures data drives diagnosis and delivery,” he added.
The Vice President commended the initiative of the Adegunwa family, describing it as a model for private sector contributions to public health and urging more well-meaning Nigerians to emulate such acts of nation-building.
The event also marked the 80th birthday celebration of Alhaji Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc and CEO of Essay Holdings Limited, parent company of Rite Foods Limited.
In his speech, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, praised Adegunwa as “a philanthropist, entrepreneur and an astute businessman” whose generosity has left a lasting legacy.
“In 2019 when I assumed office, this university was on its knees. It was like a ghost town; nobody came here for medical attention. It was one of the worst places I visited in my first term in office,” the governor recalled.
He added, “In line with the recommendation of the committee we set up, we constituted the hospital governing board which did not exist for many years. I want to thank the Chief Medical Director for the great job she has done and the achievement that we are seeing today.”
The governor lauded the trauma centre as a monumental facility that will benefit humanity and expressed his delight in being part of its commissioning.
In his address, the celebrant and donor, Chief Adebola Adegunwa, said his gesture was inspired by a passage in the Quran which urges people to give from what they have before it is taken away.
“Olabisi Onabanjo University holds a special place in my heart. On February 21, 1979, when the institution was still known as Obafemi Awolowo College of Health and Science, a group of six distinguished people visited my office to seek support for the institution,” Adegunwa recalled.
“That meeting led to the establishment of a modern audio centre which I donated in celebration of my 58th birthday on April 4, 1995, and today, it’s still me with pride here with the current Chief Medical Director of the same hospital, Dr. Oluwabunmi Fatungase, among many who benefited from the medical facility during her medical training,” he added.
The Chairman of the Board of Management, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Kunle Hassan, explained that the trauma centre was built to enhance emergency response and trauma management. He said the facility will significantly improve the hospital’s ability to deliver quality healthcare services.
“We had a budget of N800 million and instead of N800 million, he (Adegunwa) spent over N2 billion to build and equip the facility,” Hassan said.
He assured the donor and the public that the hospital would maintain the facility and ensure it serves the community for generations to come.
Also present at the event was the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Adéwálé Àjàyí, who praised Chief Adegunwa’s selfless commitment to humanity.
“Mr. Vice President, please convey to Mr. President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, our best wishes and let me note that we have a way of communicating privately but sometimes we say certain things publicly so that our people will know that we are trying,” the monarch said.
“We need a lot of federal presence in Remoland. As of today, there is no single federal university or federal polytechnic in Remoland,” he added.
