The North East Development Commission (NEDC), under the leadership of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mohammed G. Alkali, is strengthening healthcare delivery across the region through investments in medical infrastructure, advanced diagnostic equipment and human capital development.
The interventions are being implemented in line with the Healthy Citizenry pillar of the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) and the healthcare objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The commission said the investments were aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare, improving specialist medical services and building a resilient health system capable of meeting the needs of the region’s growing population.
A major component of the intervention is the procurement of eight state-of-the-art 1.5 Tesla helium-free Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems for deployment across the six North-East states.
The commission is also procuring Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan machines, digital X-ray systems, mammography equipment, dialysis machines and other advanced diagnostic technologies to strengthen the capacity of healthcare institutions across the region.
According to the NEDC, the interventions will improve access to specialised diagnostic services, reduce the need for patients to travel outside the region for medical care and enhance the capacity of tertiary hospitals to provide quality services.
To ensure the sustainability of the MRI facilities, the commission has established dedicated centres, provided alternative power solutions and entered into five-year maintenance agreements with equipment manufacturers.
It has also commenced specialised training for radiologists, biomedical engineers and other technical personnel to ensure effective operation and maintenance of the equipment while building local technical capacity.
The commission is further investing in specialist healthcare institutions, including the comprehensive upgrade of the Borno Eye Hospital into a modern ophthalmic centre.
Another major intervention is the establishment of a fully equipped Fertility Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), aimed at expanding access to specialised reproductive healthcare services within the region.
The facilities are expected to provide medical services that were previously limited or unavailable in the North-East, thereby reducing the need for residents to seek treatment outside the region.
Beyond the flagship specialist healthcare projects, NEDC has also renovated and equipped several Primary Healthcare Centres, General Hospitals and specialist facilities across the six states of the region.
The interventions are designed to strengthen healthcare delivery at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and improve access to essential medical services for communities, particularly underserved populations.
The commission has also introduced the Community Targeted Social Health Insurance Programme (CTSHIP), under which about 10,000 vulnerable beneficiaries have been enrolled.
The programme provides financial protection for low-income households and internally displaced persons while supporting efforts to expand access to healthcare and advance the region’s transition towards Universal Health Coverage.
The NEDC said its healthcare interventions represented a shift from emergency humanitarian assistance towards sustainable development, with greater emphasis on infrastructure, technology, healthcare financing and human capital.
Through the investments, the commission is seeking to strengthen the region’s healthcare system, improve health outcomes and enable residents of the North-East to access advanced medical services closer to their communities.
The interventions also form part of the broader development strategy of the commission, which seeks to complement ongoing Federal Government efforts to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen human capital and create sustainable economic and social opportunities across the North-East.