NSIA Expands Healthcare Investments, Targets 13 States

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is set to significantly expand its healthcare investments across the country, with new specialised medical facilities scheduled to begin commissioning from mid-2026.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, disclosed this while highlighting the impact of the authority’s healthcare interventions through its MedServe platform.

According to him, NSIA’s investments in the healthcare sector have helped save Nigeria more than $200 million in foreign exchange that would otherwise have been spent on overseas medical treatment.

In a statement titled, “NSIA’s Healthcare Journey from Vision to Measurable Impact — Transforming Healthcare in Nigeria,” Umar-Sadiq outlined the authority’s interventions in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.

He said the MedServe–LUTH Cancer Centre (MLCC) in Lagos, commissioned in May 2019, was the first oncology centre in Nigeria to offer 3D Conformal Radiotherapy and currently houses the largest concentration of radiotherapy equipment in West Africa.

He noted that the centre played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel restrictions limited Nigerians’ access to medical treatment abroad.

“At a critical moment for patients requiring specialised care, MLCC provided continuity of advanced cancer treatment within Nigeria, demonstrating the importance of resilient domestic healthcare capacity,” he said.

Umar-Sadiq said the investment had also been complemented by the MedServe Kano Diagnostic Centre (MKDC) and MedServe Umuahia Diagnostic Centre (MUDC), which introduced advanced radiology and pathology services to areas where such capabilities had previously been limited or unavailable.

He said the results of the investments were “substantial and measurable”, noting that MLCC had delivered more than 25,000 radiotherapy sessions and 10,000 chemotherapy treatments to approximately 15,000 unique patients since inception.

The NSIA boss added that the centre had recorded cases of reversed medical tourism, with some Nigerians referred back from overseas providers because of the quality and cost-effectiveness of services available locally.

“Treatment costs remain significantly below comparable international services, in many cases at less than half the cost of treatment abroad.

“It is estimated that these interventions have prevented more than US$200 million in foreign exchange outflows that would otherwise have been associated with overseas treatment and related expenses,” he said.

Umar-Sadiq said NSIA was now preparing for a broader expansion of its healthcare investments through MedServe.

He disclosed that MedServe was developing a network covering 13 states, comprising 13 new diagnostic centres, three additional oncology centres and three cardiac catheterisation laboratories.

The planned expansion, he said, would cover major urban centres including Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna, as well as Oyo, Sokoto, Delta and Yobe states, among others.

He said the planned cardiac catheterisation laboratories would introduce cardiology as a new service line within the MedServe platform.

To address potential operational challenges associated with specialised medical equipment, Umar-Sadiq said MedServe had established long-term partnerships with global equipment manufacturers, Siemens and GE.

“Looking ahead, with the commissioning of new centres scheduled to commence from mid-2026, NSIA, through MedServe, remains focused on expanding equitable access to high-quality healthcare services across Nigeria,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s healthcare narrative must evolve beyond dependence on outbound medical tourism towards greater domestic capacity and resilience.

“The country’s healthcare narrative must continue to evolve. It should no longer be defined predominantly by outbound medical tourism, but increasingly by domestic resilience, expanding capacity and measurable national capability,” he said.