The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Saturday laid the foundation for construction of a 200-bed Emergency and Infectious Disease Hospital in Maiduguri.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, NNPC’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Mr. Mele Kyari, disclosed that the project would be executed by the company, supported by Total and other oil and gas companies operating in the country.
He explained that Borno was chosen as site for the second COVID-19 Infectious Disease Hospital because of already existing challenges made worse by insecurity.
He noted that siting the hospital in the state was not a favour to it, but “it is something that really needs to be done, and something we are challenged to do.”
Kyari assured that the NNPC would provide medical facilities, logistics and support to patients at the completion of the projects.
The NNPC boss who disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had particularly told the company to pay attention to Borno by doing everything possible to make sure that there was energy, security and exploration activities in the state, added, “And we are focused on delivering on all those.”
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who was represented at the ceremony by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the construction of the hospital was part of efforts to combat COVID-19 in the country.
He said that the project was designed to compliment and strengthen the country’s national healthcare delivery facilities.
Mustapha lamented the destabilisation to social, cultural, religious, economic and the health systems which COVID-19 has caused.
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He posited that the establishment of the hospital would serve as landmark achievement for the northeast in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The SGF further said that the N21 billion project, funded by the Federal Government through the NNPC, would be executed in 12 states in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
He commended Gov. Babagana Zulum for his achievements in spite of the challenges of insecurity in the state.
In his remark, Gov. Zulum commended the NNPC and its partners in mitigating the humanitarian crises in the state and supporting its rebuilding efforts.
He said: “What we’re seeing today is part of the institutional capacity building measures envisaged by President Muhammadu Buhari and delivered by the NNPC and its allied organisations in the oil sector”.
The governor noted that the state had been battling with the pandemic of Lassa fever and others even before the outbreak of the COVID-19.
He said the state had lost about 201 health centres as a result of the destruction caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.
“As you have seen, about 60 percent of the populations are now residing in the state capital and therefore, these measures will go a along way in reducing congestion in different hospitals,” he said.
