VP Shettima: Private Sector Key to Revamping Nigeria’s Healthcare

….Commissions N2bn Adegunwa Trauma Centre in Ogun State

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for stronger private sector engagement in Nigeria’s healthcare reform efforts, stressing that government alone cannot shoulder the enormous burden of transforming the nation’s health sector.

Speaking on Saturday during the commissioning of the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre in Sagamu, Ogun State, Shettima said the facility is a testament to the impact of strategic partnerships in public health delivery.

“This centre is more than a birthday gift; it is a gift to humanity—a lifeline in a nation that cares,” he said, describing the trauma centre as critical to Nigeria’s emergency response capabilities in an era of rising urbanisation and industrial hazards.

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Highlighting the Federal Government’s efforts under President Bola Tinubu, Shettima disclosed that over 8,800 new Primary Healthcare Centres will be built nationwide, and existing tertiary hospitals will be upgraded to manage trauma, oncology, and infectious diseases. He also noted progress in deploying a National Health Insurance Scheme and a Digital Health Information Management System to enhance healthcare delivery.

The N2 billion trauma centre, built by the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Foundation within Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, aligns with the administration’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

Governor Dapo Abiodun praised Chief Adegunwa for his lifelong philanthropy, revealing the institution was once near collapse until recent interventions. “This centre is a monumental gift for humanity,” he said.

In his remarks, Chief Adegunwa traced his commitment to giving back to a promise he made on his 56th birthday. “We must spend from what we have been blessed with, before it ceases to exist,” he said.

Traditional ruler Oba Babatunde Ajayi called for increased federal presence in Remoland, noting the absence of federal tertiary institutions in the region.

Chairman of the hospital’s board, Dr. Kunle Hassan, revealed the trauma centre, initially budgeted at N800 million, ended up costing over N2 billion due to Adegunwa’s commitment to equipping it with state-of-the-art facilities.

The event also marked the 80th birthday celebration of Chief Adegunwa, a former chairman of Sterling Bank Plc and founder of Essay Holdings Limited, parent company of Rite Foods.