The wife of the Niger State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Umaru Bago has commissioned six newly remodelled facilities at General Hospital, Minna, marking the first phase of a major upgrade of the 100-year-old institution into a modern 500-bed referral hospital.
The facilities commissioned at the ceremony attended by government officials, traditional rulers, health workers and residents include the male surgical ward, male medical ward, female surgical ward, female medical ward, emergency paediatric unit and paediatric surgical ward.
The event formed part of the state government’s response to the declaration of a state of emergency on the hospital by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
The state Commissioner of Health, Dr Murtala Bargana said General Hospital, Minna, established in 1926 as the Railway Staff Medical Centre, has grown into the state’s flagship secondary healthcare facility.
He added that the hospital currently has a bed capacity of 368 after the addition of 162 beds, 14 wards, 11 clinical and administrative departments and more than 700 healthcare professionals.
He said the ongoing redevelopment programme aims to expand specialist services, diagnostic facilities, operating theatres, staff accommodation and emergency capacity while keeping the hospital operational through phased reconstruction.
Bagana described the commissioning as a celebration of a century of service and the beginning of a new era of modern healthcare delivery.
He said the reconstruction is the first visible phase of a comprehensive programme that will position the hospital among Nigeria’s foremost referral centres, with later phases expected to deliver additional wards, a modern Accident and Emergency complex, expanded outpatient services, renewable energy and waste management systems.
Bagana noted that the administration has also procured 2,000 high-quality hospital beds for general hospitals across the state, more than 40 wheelchairs, and, in partnership with the Malaria Consortium, malaria medicines and essential commodities valued at over ₦2.5 billion for distribution across the 25 local government areas.
In her remarks, Hajiya Fatima Bago said the remodelled wards represent renewed hope for patients and families. She highlighted the paediatric facilities as particularly important for improving child survival and urged continued focus on preventive care, immunisation, nutrition, sanitation and early detection of diseases such as cancer.
Bago described the project as evidence of an administration planning for both present needs and future generations, and called on healthcare professionals to sustain the facilities through professionalism and compassion.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Mohammed Isah welcomed the intervention, noting that the century-old structures had long required comprehensive attention.
He thanked the governor and his wife for the timely renovation and expressed optimism that subsequent phases would follow.
The Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government, Dr Mustapha Jubril also praised the broader healthcare reforms under the current administration, citing specialised surgeries now being performed in the state that previously required overseas travel.
Bagana, the Permanent Secretary, hospital management and staff, the Special Supervisory Committee, development were commended for their roles in completing the first phase.
