Edo Govt Gets N2.5bn ASR Health Sector Grant To Equip Stella Obasanjo Hospital

Caption: Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State (left), receiving the N2.5bn ASR Africa Tertiary Healthcare Support grant award letter from Ubon Udoh, Managing Director, ASR Africa at the grant presentation towards the equipping of the New Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City. 

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), the brainchild of Industrialist, philanthropist, and founder of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, has provided a N2.5bn grant to enable the Edo State Government to equip the New Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City currently being reconfigured, upgraded, and expanded to a 250-bed specialist hospital.

This donation makes Edo State the fourth state after Sokoto, Ogun, and Kwara states to receive a N2.5bn grant from ASR Africa’s N10bn Tertiary Healthcare Systems Support Grants Scheme for 2021, drawn from the Annual ASR Africa $100m Fund for Social Development and Renewal.

Presenting the award letter to Governor Godwin Obaseki in Benin City, Ubon Udoh, Managing Director, ASR Africa Initiative said it was in fulfilment of the pledge Alh. Rabiu made in June 2021 when he specifically set aside N10bn for tertiary healthcare interventions in four Nigerian states.

The grant for equipping the new Stella Obasanjo Hospital, according to a statement by ASR, will go a long way in raising the standard of care accessible in the region, commending Governor Godwin Obaseki, for his commitment to healthcare development at all levels within the State.

Presenting the letter of the award at the Government House in Benin City, Dr. Ubon Udoh said the scheme to support the Stella Obasanjo Hospital will begin with committing “an initial deposit of N1.25bn in a joint account between ASR Africa and Edo State Government; I want to congratulate you and your team. We want to thank you for the commitment you’ve shown towards bettering the lives of your people and the quality of leadership you’ve shown and which we have seen. I want to assure you that this is the beginning of a partnership between ASR and the Edo State Government.”

Governor Obaseki, whilst thanking the ASR Africa Initiative for the grant, noted his government’s decision to improve healthcare delivery in the state by renovating, improving, and upgrading the Stella Obasanjo Hospital to a 250-bed hospital.

He also added that new buildings and services are being added to complement and support the existing complex, due to the administration’s concern “about healthcare in Nigeria with the post-COVID-19 economy. We are determined to make Edo a healthcare hub in Nigeria. The healthcare system is really about the people. Infrastructure is important. If you don’t have the people that are properly trained, then the equipment will just be fancy for tourism. Within the Edo axis, we can muster up to five thousand doctors in different specialisations.

“If we have access to people who can provide quality healthcare and have world-class institutions or facilities to provide that training, then we should do it. Having the right governance means an arrangement where people don’t need to travel to get the kind of care they need.

“We are very keen and are anxious to get this started. For us as a state, we just try and execute. Hopefully, next week, we will establish a joint account and the procurement process has to be accelerated; within the next four to six weeks, let the orders be placed.

“I want to thank and appreciate you and the people of Edo will eternally be grateful. We can now proudly say that you have one of your largest investments in Africa in Edo and this is what they are contributing to the lives of our people,” Governor Obaseki added.

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.