THUR AUG 20 2026-theGBJournal| The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved infrastructure projects worth roughly N540 billion to upgrade the National Hospital, Abuja into a quaternary healthcare institution and establish a new National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment facility, in one of the government’s largest recent investments in specialist healthcare infrastructure.
The approvals, announced by Health Minister Ali Pate, include projects spanning specialist medicine, surgical capacity, neuroscience and cancer treatment, underscoring the government’s effort to address years of underinvestment in tertiary healthcare infrastructure.
The package comprises:
-N18.74 million for refitting the National Hospital’s administrative block by Visible Construction Limited.
-N64.92 billion for modular clinics and a theatre complex by Strabbing Construction Limited.
-N103 billion for a new hospital wing, with a 24-month completion period, by CBC Global Civil Construction Limited.
-N69 billion for a Neuroscience Institute covering neurosurgery, radiology and rehabilitation by CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Limited.
-N302.3 billion for a new National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) facility, with a 36-month completion period, by CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Limited.
The investment comes as Nigeria seeks to expand domestic capacity for complex medical treatment, including cancer and neurological care, areas where patients have historically faced limited specialist infrastructure and often depend on overseas treatment.
Pate noted that the National Hospital, established about 25 years ago, had lagged behind its original vision due to underinvestment. He said the latest projects follow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to strengthen healthcare infrastructure nationwide.
Importantly, the minister said the projects are being funded through National Assembly appropriations already reflected in the 2025 and 2026 budgets, rather than through direct ministry allocation. This points to the government’s attempt to use existing budgetary commitments to address infrastructure gaps in the health system.
Pate described quality healthcare as requiring sustained investment and said the administration’s goal is to deliver visible transformation at both the National Hospital and the new NICRAT cancer centre.
The scale of the package also signals a shift towards building specialised public-sector capacity rather than relying predominantly on general hospital infrastructure.
If delivered within the stated timelines, the projects could strengthen Nigeria’s ability to diagnose and treat complex conditions domestically while improving the National Hospital’s position as a higher-level referral centre.
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