Nigeria’s state-owned energy company NNPC Limited has expanded its healthcare infrastructure investment with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in southeastern Nigeria.
The project, delivered through the NNPC Foundation, is aimed at improving access to advanced diagnostic healthcare services across the South-East region and reducing the burden of costly medical travel for patients.
The intervention includes a fully installed 1.5 Tesla MRI system and supporting infrastructure designed to strengthen diagnostic capacity at one of the region’s major referral hospitals.
Healthcare Access Boost for Southeast Nigeria
The MRI facility is expected to serve millions of residents across Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states, as well as neighbouring Delta State, where access to advanced imaging services has remained limited.
Before the intervention, many patients reportedly faced long waiting times, high diagnostic costs and the need to travel significant distances to obtain MRI scans.
The installation includes RF shielding systems, chillers, backup power infrastructure, ventilation systems, CCTV monitoring, oxygen monitoring systems and specialized imaging accessories aimed at ensuring uninterrupted and high-quality diagnostic services.
NNPC Positions Healthcare as Economic Development Priority
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony in Nnewi, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by NNPC Foundation Managing Director Emmanuella Arukwe, described the project as part of the company’s broader strategy to support sustainable national development.
According to Ojulari, healthcare access remains closely linked to economic productivity, social stability and long-term national growth.
“The installation of the MRI in NAUTH exemplifies our commitment to building enduring institutions, sustainable systems and legacies,” he stated.
The company said its social investment initiatives are designed to complement its core energy mandate while strengthening stakeholder confidence and supporting broader socio-economic outcomes.
State Government Welcomes Intervention
Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said the MRI facility would improve access to safer and more precise medical diagnosis and treatment across the region.
The state government also described the intervention as a major contribution to healthcare delivery in southeastern Nigeria, particularly at a time when public hospitals continue to face infrastructure and funding challenges.
Corporate Social Responsibility and National Infrastructure
NNPC executives used the event to highlight the company’s broader corporate social responsibility agenda, which includes investments in healthcare, education and public infrastructure.
Executive Vice President of Business Services at NNPC, Sophia Mbakwe, represented by Chief Supply Chain Officer Isokariari Telema, said the company had maintained decades of investment in social infrastructure across Nigeria.
Healthcare analysts say corporate-backed investments in medical infrastructure could help reduce pressure on Nigeria’s overstretched health system while limiting outbound medical tourism, which continues to drain foreign exchange from the country.
Hospital Management Praises Project
Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, Joseph Ugboaja, said the MRI installation would significantly reduce the hardship faced by patients seeking advanced diagnostic services.
“For too long, patients in our catchment area have had to travel long distances to access this level of diagnostic precision, often at prohibitive costs,” he said.
Ugboaja added that the hospital would ensure optimal use of the facility to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes across the region.