Niger Revokes IBBU Teaching Hospital Contract

Niger State government has hinted that the proposed Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Teaching Hospital will be completed in the next two years even as the initial contract has been revoked.

The state commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, who disclosed this at the weekend when he spoke on the ongoing reforms in the health sector, added that before the completion of the teaching hospital, interim arrangements would be made for the medical students in the facilities at  General Hospital and IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna.

He said, “We are not waiting for the teaching hospital to be completed before we start training our students. Since the timeline for the completion of the hospital is now between 18 months to two years, in the next six months to one year, we will have our facilities ready for them.”

Bagana said the arrangement became necessary following delays in the construction of the permanent IBBU University Teaching Hospital in Minna which

He confirmed that the state government had encountered disagreements with the contractor handling the teaching hospital project, which affected the pace of construction.

The commissioner however said that  the issues have been resolved and arrangements were  finalised for the re-award of the contract to another contractor to ensure the project progresses to completion .

He however posited that  the government would not wait for the completion of the permanent teaching hospital before commencing clinical training for the next batch of medical students hence the interim arrangements at Minna General Hospital and IBB specialist hospital.

LEADERSHIP reports that the construction of the teaching hospital was abandoned for over two years after N9 billion was paid as mobilisation of the  total cost of  N18 billion immediately the administration came into office in 2023.

The  delay prompted the vice chancellor of IBBU,  Prof.  Mohammed Hadi Suleiman,  to relocate the 41 pioneer medical students  of the school to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Teaching Hospital Zaria for clinical training last month .

Meanwhile, the commissioner said  the state government was  targeting the completion and operationalisation of 100 o of the 274 Tier-Two Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) being upgraded across the state by the end of 2026.