Governor Sule Allocates ₦6bn for Immediate Upgrade of DASH Akwanga to Tertiary Status

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has announced the immediate allocation of ₦6 billion for the comprehensive upgrade of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Akwanga.

The investment is designed to elevate the facility to a tertiary healthcare standard, comparable to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi and the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH) Lafia.

The Governor made this disclosure while providing an update on the state’s fiscal distribution, noting that the funds were drawn from a ₦17 billion windfall recently secured by the state.

The decision to upgrade the Akwanga facility follows the recent handover of the former DASH Lafia to the Federal Government to serve as the teaching hospital for the Federal University of Lafia. By establishing a high-level specialist hospital in Akwanga, the state government aims to ensure that residents across all senatorial zones have access to specialized medical services.

"We are keeping ₦6 billion on-site to be given immediately to DASH Akwanga," Governor Sule stated. "This is to ensure it can be upgraded to the level of a tertiary healthcare facility, similar to those in Lafia and Keffi."

Governor Sule emphasized that maintaining the name "Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital" for the Akwanga facility is a deliberate act to continue immortalizing the late Dr. Dalhatu Araf. He praised the late physician's "enormous contributions" to the development of healthcare systems across both Nasarawa and Plateau States.