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By Akpan David, Calabar
Concerns are mounting that a proposed $8 billion state-of-the-art medical centre in Nigeria may be stalled due to alleged demands for kickbacks by certain government officials.
According to findings, some health officials have reportedly insisted on receiving substantial financial inducements in Dollars over the past two years, despite assurances given to the foreign investors.
These demands have allegedly delayed the presentation of the proposal to the Presidency for approval since two years.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST in Calabar, the solicitor representing the foreign consortium, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, revealed that the medical centre would be a landmark investment in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, if approved.
He stated that the project is designed as a comprehensive, self-contained medical city, unmatched on the African continent, and would come at no direct financial cost to the Nigerian government. The only requirement, he noted, is official approval under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
Ahiakwo explained that the proposed facility would include a Teaching Hospital, male, female, and children’s wards, administrative blocks, emergency rooms, laboratories, mortuary, residential quarters, daycare centre, and more.
“This ambitious venture aims to deliver world-class medical services not only to Nigerians but to citizens across Africa,” he said.
“Beyond healthcare delivery, it is expected to generate over 50,000 direct high-paying jobs and numerous indirect employment opportunities, ultimately boosting the national economy.”
The lawyer expressed concern over what he described as unexplained delays and possible sabotage from within the system.
He urged public officials to act with integrity and prioritize national interest over personal gain.
“Nigerians deserve access to this level of healthcare,” Ahiakwo emphasized.
“We appeal to all relevant authorities to treat this matter with the urgency and transparency it requires.”
When contacted, a very senior official in the ministry of health in Abuja who pleaded anonymity denied knowledge of such proposal by a foreign conglomerate.
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