FG Commissions UCH MedServe Centre, Announces Major Infrastructure Upgrade for the Hospital

The Federal Government has commissioned the MedServe Radiodiagnostic Centre and Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announcing plans for a major infrastructure upgrade of the nation’s foremost tertiary healthcare institution.

The commissioning, held on Monday, October 5, 2026, marked the completion of one of the 10 MedServe diagnostic centres delivered nationwide under the Federal Government’s healthcare infrastructure programme through the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). The projects form part of 16 major health projects approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in February 2024, comprising 10 diagnostic centres and six cancer centres.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Pate described UCH as Nigeria’s first teaching hospital and a national centre of medical excellence, assuring stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing the hospital’s infrastructure. “I want to assure all the stakeholders that we have thoughts and plans on the way for a major advancement of the infrastructure,” he said.

The Minister noted that 13 of the 16 projects had so far been completed, comprising the 10 diagnostic centres and three cancer centres, while work was ongoing on the remaining three cancer centres.

He also highlighted health workforce shortages, migration and remuneration as some of the major challenges confronting the health sector, noting that the Federal Government was taking steps to address them. He disclosed that quotas for the training of medical, nursing and pharmacy students had been doubled, although the impact of the policy would take time to materialise.

Also speaking, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, said the Federal Government was committed to reducing Nigerians’ dependence on overseas medical treatment through investments in diagnostic and specialised healthcare services.

According to him, the UCH facility is part of Phase One of the NSIA healthcare expansion programme through MedServe, comprising 13 centres expected to serve about 300,000 Nigerians within their first two years of operation.

Prof. Oyedele stressed the importance of mobilising private and development capital to complement government funding in addressing the country’s healthcare infrastructure needs, noting that Ibadan’s strong concentration of medical education, research and tertiary healthcare institutions positioned the city strategically in the drive to improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The Regional Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Mr. Olivier Buyoya, disclosed that IFC had committed approximately $24 million to support MedServe’s expansion of diagnostic and specialised healthcare services across Nigeria.

He said the investment would expand access to reliable diagnostic services, promote early disease detection and reduce the need for Nigerians to travel long distances or outside the country to access specialised care. He added that MedServe’s expansion from one oncology centre to four and from two diagnostic centres to 15 was expected to create more than 17,000 jobs and facilitate the training of about 500 Nigerian medical specialists.

In his welcome address, the Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Prof. Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, NSIA, MedServe and other partners for the investment in the hospital, describing the facility as a significant addition to UCH’s capacity for advanced diagnosis and specialised treatment.

Prof. Otegbayo said the Radiodiagnostic Centre and Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory would enhance the hospital’s ability to provide timely and accurate diagnosis, facilitate advanced interventions, and improve health outcomes for patients.

According to him, the facility would further strengthen UCH’s tripartite mandate of clinical services, teaching, and research by providing an enabling environment for healthcare delivery, training of medical professionals, and advancement of medical research.

The CMD reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to putting patients at the centre of its services, stressing that every patient deserved to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

He also reiterated the Management’s commitment to staff welfare, noting that a motivated workforce remained critical to delivering quality healthcare and sustaining the hospital’s position as a centre of medical excellence.