The Northwest University Sokoto (NWUS) has expanded its international academic collaborations through a strategic partnership with India’s IPSC Pain and Spine Hospital and its academic arm, IPSC University, New Delhi, to support the redesign and development of the Northwest University Teaching Hospital (NWUTH) to meet global healthcare standards.
The collaboration complements the university’s earlier partnership with the University of Lahore, Pakistan, aimed at strengthening medical education and research. NWUS Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mukhtar Umar Bunza, said the initiative reflects the institution’s vision of “building a home of knowledge that speaks to the world.”
According to him, upgrading the teaching hospital to international standards will create opportunities for students, doctors and researchers to benefit from global medical expertise while improving specialised healthcare services available to communities in Nigeria. He added that the project aligns with the vision of the university’s founder, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, to build a globally connected institution that also addresses local needs.
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The partnership gained momentum following a visit to Sokoto on March 5, 2026, by the founder and Director of IPSC University and IPSC Pain and Spine Hospital, Dr. Pankaj N. Surange, who said he was invited by Senator Wamakko to provide advisory support for the strategic redesign of the teaching hospital.
Surange explained that the collaboration will focus on hospital planning and infrastructure modernisation, medical equipment planning and procurement, and the establishment of specialised clinical centres. The project will prioritise centres of excellence in minimally invasive medicine, including endoscopic spine and pain procedures, advanced interventional pain medicine, laparoscopic general and gynecological surgery, endoscopic ENT surgery, as well as urology, nephrology and dialysis services. He noted that minimally invasive procedures are increasingly replacing traditional open surgeries globally due to reduced complications, faster recovery and lower treatment costs.
The upgraded facility is also expected to serve as the teaching hospital for the university’s planned medical college, providing clinical training for medical students and healthcare professionals. Through IPSC, a team of Indian specialists will support the hospital with experienced consultants on contractual assignments and visiting senior specialists who will perform complex procedures while training and mentoring Nigerian doctors, helping to build local capacity and transfer advanced medical skills.
During his visit, Dr. Surange toured the university facilities with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bunza, alongside key management officials, including the Registrar, Umar Musa Garun Babba; Bursar, Garba Shinkafi; Provost and Deputy Provost of the College of Medical Sciences, Prof. Umar Mohammed and Dr. Jamil Lukman; Dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Computing, Prof. Aminu Bala Bui; and the Chief Librarian, Dr. Faisal Muhammad.
