₦45.9 Billion Spent Upgrading Health Centres to Protect Mothers and Children

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that his administration has invested ₦45.9 billion to upgrade 8,800 primary healthcare centres nationwide, a major intervention aimed at improving maternal health and essential diagnostics in underserved communities.

Speaking at the 32nd Annual Meetings of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Abuja, Tinubu said the initiative is part of his government’s broader efforts to deliver tangible improvements in citizens’ lives beyond economic reforms.

“These investments are transforming the quality of care at the grassroots level, ensuring that no Nigerian mother or child is left behind,” he told delegates, noting that the upgrades have targeted some of the country’s most neglected areas.

According to the President, the overhaul of primary health facilities includes equipping centres with modern diagnostic tools, enhancing maternal and child health services, and strengthening community-based healthcare delivery.

Tinubu described the effort as a cornerstone of his Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to empower communities and build human capital alongside Nigeria’s macroeconomic reforms.

The healthcare investment is part of a wave of interventions spanning infrastructure, education, and economic empowerment programmes launched since May 2023.

The President emphasised that while fiscal reforms such as subsidy removal and exchange rate unification were necessary, improvements in healthcare, education, and social protection remain critical to achieving inclusive growth.

The announcement comes as Nigeria works to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and expand access to quality care in rural areas long plagued by inadequate facilities.

Tinubu urged other African governments to prioritise people-centred investments even as they pursue broader economic transformation.

“The true measure of progress lies not only in numbers but in the well-being of our citizens,” he said.

The 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja gathered African leaders, business executives, and development financiers to chart new pathways for economic integration and sustainable development across the continent.