The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), in collaboration with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, have commissioned a state-of-the-art laboratory complex to strengthen the fight against Lassa fever and other infectious diseases.
The initiative forms part of NLNG’s Hospital Support Programme (HSP), which seeks to improve healthcare access across the country.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the company’s Manager of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Mrs. Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, the NLNG Managing Director, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, said during the commissioning, that the project formed part of the company’s commitment to providing facilities that would significantly enhance diagnostic capacity and provide better support to both clinicians and patients.
Mshelbila, represented by Mrs. Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, expressed the company’s passion for improving healthcare infrastructure to benefit more Nigerians.
He said the project formed part of the company’s commitment to providing facilities that would significantly enhance diagnostic capacity and provide better support to both clinicians and patients. He added that NLNG is currently building a network of healthcare facilities across the country through the HSP.
“The programme has transformed medical services in all the beneficiary institutions, boosting the confidence of medical practitioners and raising public hope for improved healthcare.
“We are delighted that Bauchi State partnered with NLNG, giving us the opportunity to actualise the company’s vision of improving lives sustainably through the provision of healthcare infrastructure,” he said.
The NLNG MD reiterated that the company remains at the forefront of private sector contributions to healthcare delivery in Nigeria, investing in energy, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
He further reaffirmed the company’s commitment to healthcare improvement across Nigeria, noting that similar health interventions under the Hospital Support Programme (HSP) had been carried out in Asaba, Bayelsa, and Abuja.
“Though we operate in the South-South, our vision is national. This project shows what public-private partnerships can be achieveed. From neonatal care in Asaba to renal support in Bayelsa, the HSP is revolutionising healthcare delivery,” he said.
He added that NLNG’s broader investments, such as providing 100 percent of Nigeria’s domestic LPG supply and advancing its Train 7 project on Bonny Island, underscored the company’s dedication to sustainable national development.
Also speaking at the commissioning ceremony the Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Prof. Yusuf Jibrin, said the laboratory, fully funded by the NLNG, represents a significant public-private partnership aimed at boosting healthcare infrastructure.
Jibrin said the new facility is expected to enhance early diagnosis, improve treatment outcomes, and support medical research in the region. He added that the facility is a strategic intervention for the northern region that has been battling surge in both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
“Bauchi is one of the states with the highest burden of Lassa fever, cholera, and diphtheria, timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial in managing such outbreaks,” he said.
The MD further explained that the NLNG-funded laboratory was built following a detailed needs assessment, and equipped for high-throughput sample processing, advanced diagnostics, and research.
He added that the facility would significantly boost ATBUTH’s capabilities in clinical care, research, and medical training, and would also support international collaborations, including with the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit Gambia.
“It will enable early detection of Lassa fever, reduce diagnostic delays, and improve patient outcomes in Bauchi and the surrounding states,” he said.