Tinubu Unveils CNG Ambulance Fleet, Commissions Health Projects Nationwide

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

LAGOS — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday unveiled a fleet of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered ambulances for Nigeria’s 73 federal tertiary health institutions in Lagos, as he commissioned new and upgraded healthcare facilities across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

According to a State House statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the projects formed part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration and represent one of the largest investments in healthcare infrastructure in recent years.

The CNG-powered ambulances, commissioned along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, were delivered under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and coordinated by the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS).

The Presidency said the ambulances would reduce fuel costs for federal health institutions, lower carbon emissions and strengthen referral services between secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across the country.

Also commissioned was the Lagos Immunisation Supply Chain Hub at the Federal Medical Stores, Oshodi. Built under the World Bank-supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project, the facility is the first completed hub under Nigeria’s new Three-Hub Immunisation Supply Chain Model designed to serve the South-West and South-South regions.

In Abuja, the President inaugurated the newly completed Bola Tinubu Specialist Complex at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, and flagged off the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System Emergency Response Fleet comprising 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and 79 emergency ambulances for federal tertiary hospitals.

Other projects commissioned nationwide included upgraded Polio Emergency Operations Centres in Kano, Katsina and Sokoto states; primary healthcare centres in Kano and Delta states; a new laboratory complex at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; an administrative complex at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; a Pharmacy Quality Control Laboratory at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; and a 50-bed Mental Health and Drug Rehabilitation Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Speaking during a virtual commissioning ceremony, President Tinubu said the investments reflected his administration’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare services across the country.

“We are determined to give Nigerians the kind of care that, for too long, only those who could travel abroad enjoyed,” the President said.

He added that the projects would strengthen the country’s emergency medical response system and improve healthcare delivery from urban centres to remote communities.

The President also commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NEMSAS, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, development partners and state governments for supporting the implementation of the projects.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare disclosed that nearly 3,000 primary healthcare centres have been revitalised under the IMPACT programme in the past two years, while thousands of health facilities across the country have also been upgraded under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.