Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed an healthcare expansion plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Shettima made the revelation on Saturday during the commissioning of the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre in Sagamu, Ogun State. The initiative includes nationwide primary healthcare development and enhanced capacity in trauma, oncology, and infectious disease management at tertiary facilities.
Shettima urged greater private sector involvement in Nigeria’s health sector reforms, stressing that government alone cannot shoulder this burden. He described the new trauma centre as both a critical emergency care facility and proof of the administration’s commitment to healthcare improvement.
The VP reiterated the government’s focus on public-private partnerships to address Nigeria’s healthcare gaps, calling the newly inaugurated centre a vital addition to our emergency care infrastructure and a testament to our dedication to saving lives
He revealed that President Tinubu approved a “comprehensive Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, including the creation of over 8,800 new Primary Healthcare Centres across the country and the upgrade of existing tertiary institutions to handle trauma, oncology, and infectious disease control.
“In a nation facing rising urbanisation, motorisation, and industrial risks, trauma care is no longer optional—it is essential,” VP Shettima added, describing the facility as “a lifeline and a symbol of preparedness in a nation that cares.”
He commended the Adegunwa family’s initiative, urging more philanthropists and corporate organisations to “rise beyond personal achievement and invest in nation-building.”
Describing the initiative as a model of private sector contribution to public health, Shettima 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”.
The facility built by the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Foundation within the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital aligns with the Federal Government’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
“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,” the Vice President stated.
The commissioning ceremony coincided with the 80th birthday celebration of Alhaji Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, a former chairman of Sterling Bank Plc and CEO of Essay Holdings Limited, the parent company of Rite Foods Limited.
In his remarks, the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, described the celebrant, Adegunwa, as “a philanthropist, entrepreneur and an astute businessman,” who even at the age of 80 has achieved greatness at all times.
Noting that the gathering was not only to honour Adegunwa but to also celebrate a legacy, a milestone and the father of modern philanthropy, Governor Abiodun expressed delight in commissioning the Trauma Centre donated by Pa Adegunwa to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.
The Governor said it is a monumental facility established for the benefit of humanity and the betterment of mankind.
“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. 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,” he stated.
Governor Abiodun thanked Vice President Shettima, who he described as a friend and a leader, saying it is gratifying to celebrate great leaders while they are still alive, thereby motivating others to do more.
.
Discussion about this post