MAIDUGURI — The Minister of Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, has commissioned a state-of-the-art fertility centre and an ensuite maternity complex constructed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Borno State.
The projects, commissioned in Maiduguri on Tuesday, also include solar power facilities designed to support uninterrupted service delivery, surgical and diagnostic equipment and other critical infrastructure.
Among the equipment provided are an Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) machine, incubators, oxygen concentrators, Spermifuge, laboratory equipment and furniture.
Speaking at the commissioning, Ahmadu commended President Bola Tinubu and the NEDC for completing the projects, describing them as significant interventions in the region’s healthcare system.
He said the fertility centre was particularly important because it was one of the few public fertility facilities available in the North-East.
According to the minister, the intervention would reduce the burden on couples who previously had to travel to Lagos, Abuja or outside the country to access assisted reproductive services.
“NEDC stepped in to fill a critical gap in reproductive health care accesses, as families previously had to travel to Lagos, Abuja, or abroad at great personal cost,” he said.
Ahmadu said the Federal Government remained committed to supporting Borno State and other North-East states affected by years of Boko Haram insurgency.
He said the Ministry of Regional Development was established by President Tinubu to coordinate inclusive development across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
“Today’s handing over of completed projects by the NEDC is a testament to that vision. It aligns with the broader North East Stabilization and Development Plan (NESDP) and the 25-year Borno State Development Master Plan,” he said.
Governor Babagana Zulum praised the NEDC for its interventions across various sectors in the North-East, saying the commission had complemented the efforts of his administration in promoting sustainable development.
The Managing Director of NEDC, Goni Alkali, said the commission had also invested in human capacity development to ensure the effective operation of the new fertility centre.
He said pioneer health workers had undergone specialised training funded by the commission.
“This centre is ready to serve patients without delay. It is also affordable, as high-quality assisted reproductive services would now be available locally, and no more expensive travel outside the region,” Alkali said.
“It will also restore hope and dignity to families struggling with infertility.”
The Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, commended the Federal Government and NEDC for their interventions at the hospital.
Ahidjo said the commission had previously provided life-saving medical equipment and rehabilitated critical health infrastructure at the hospital.
He listed some of the interventions to include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scan, digital X-ray, mammography and dialysis machines.
He expressed appreciation for the latest projects, describing them as significant additions to the hospital’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services to residents of Borno and the wider North-East region.
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