President Bola Tinubu on Thursday officially inaugurated the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) in Abuja, describing it as a symbol of African resilience, innovation, and a major step toward positioning Nigeria as a global healthcare hub.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, the President also announced that Nigeria has attracted over $2.2 billion in health sector investments through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative launched in December 2023. The initiative aims to renovate over 17,000 primary healthcare centres, train 120,000 frontline health workers, and double the country’s health insurance coverage within three years.
Tinubu emphasized that the AMCE, developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with King’s College Hospital, London, would serve as a leading facility for advanced medical treatment, research, and training. The Centre hosts the largest stem cell laboratory in West Africa and is set to expand to include a teaching hospital, a nursing school, and residential quarters for medical personnel.
“This is not just the unveiling of a structure of steel and bricks. It is a declaration of our collective refusal to accept medical vulnerability as destiny,” the President said. “We are not here because we lack hospitals, but because we refuse to settle for mediocrity.”
Tinubu highlighted a series of reforms undertaken since the beginning of his administration, including the signing of an Executive Order and the launch of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), which have enhanced local pharmaceutical production, improved regulations, and expanded diagnostic services.
At the event, Afreximbank and the Bank of Industry also announced a $75 million endowment fund under the African Life Sciences Foundation to support medical research and development across the continent.
Praising Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah, Tinubu said the initiative demonstrated what African institutions can achieve when they provide African solutions to African challenges.
The President also stressed the importance of complementary infrastructure, noting that investments through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund would ensure essential services like roads and electricity support the new medical facility.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, stated that the AMCE project, valued at over $400 million, was funded by the private sector and marks a turning point in Nigeria’s health and economic development. “Nigeria is healthier and wealthier today,” he said.
Afreximbank President Prof. Oramah, in his remarks, recounted how his personal experience as a patient at King’s College Hospital in London inspired his resolve to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Africa. He described the AMCE as not just a medical centre but a catalyst for transforming the continent’s health sector.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, said the Centre would help curb medical tourism by offering high-quality care within Nigeria. Similarly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, praised Afreximbank for its visionary approach.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) welcomed the development, stating that the AMCE would reduce the continent’s reliance on overseas treatment and promote medical innovation.
Also speaking, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, said the facility would bring best global practices to African healthcare and pledged the African Union’s full support.
A representative of the Tanzanian President, the country’s Minister of Health, applauded the initiative and said it would strengthen healthcare delivery and the capacity of medical professionals across Africa.
Nzubechukwu Eze
