Niger inaugurates upgraded IBB Specialist Hospital
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago yesterday inaugurated upgraded facilities at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, which featured new installations, including a renal dialysis center, Tesla MRI machine, ECG, mammogram,
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago yesterday inaugurated upgraded facilities at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, which featured new installations, including a renal dialysis center, Tesla MRI machine, ECG, mammogram, digital x-ray, CT scan and state-of-the-art operating theatre.
The governor said such a setup is the first in sub-Saharan Africa and would establish the state as a premier medical hub for the Northentral.
“With these facilities, we will be able to reduce the burden of medical tourism and ensure that even those in the rural areas have the access to quality health care,” Bago said.
He said agreements with Arab Contractors Hospital in Egypt for diagnostics and specialist visits of 20 to 50 doctors monthly, plus telemedicine ties with a Russian health facility which will be deploying 215 machines across local governments to connect rural patients directly with specialised care in the city centre.
He announced that to guarantee uninterrupted operations, the state has installed a two megawatt solar power system to take the entire facility off the national power grid.
The governor further announced the upgrade of 22 general hospitals, completion of 20 type-2 primary health centres and 110 more in progress applauding federal support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for enabling sub-national resources.
Bago noted that the state is offering highly competitive remuneration, designated doctors’ quarters, and transportation to attract and retain top medical talent from across the country.
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The Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Bagana, emphasised the upgrades position the hospital as a Northcentral reference centre for advanced surgeries like neurosurgery, total knee replacements, maxillofacial and pediatric procedures, plus subspecialties in cardiology, endocrinology and nephrology, adding that the facility is already supporting complex procedures, including brain and spinal cord surgeries, which previously required patients to travel abroad.
“By reducing outward medical tourism and providing advanced care locally, we are easing financial and emotional burdens on families while strengthening the State’s healthcare economy,” the commissioner stated.
Bagana said the state has aggressively scaled its medical workforce, adding over 2,500 personnel to the health sector since 2024. He stated that the government will be bringing in visiting consultants from around the world to train and collaborate with resident medical teams.
He also noted that the facility will temporarily host the IBB University Teaching Hospital for training clinical students and residents, fostering research and reducing outward patient travel, the commissioner noted.
