French Government, Oyo State Launch N27.2bn Public Health Care Project

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and French Ambassador, Emmanuelle Blatmann, have launched a €55 million project in public health.

The project is financed by French authorities to be implemented by Ellipse Projects.

A press statement by the French Embassy yesterday said that “a decisive step was taken this Thursday towards the launch of the Oyo Healthcare New Initiative’, as H. E. Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, Nigeria and Mr. Olivier Picard, CEO of Ellipse Project, signed a major Commercial Contract in presence of H.E. Emmanuelle Blatmann, Ambassador of France to Nigeria.”

According to the statement, “Oyo Healthcare New Initiative Project is key to the significant upgrade of the healthcare system in the whole of Oyo State, setting new standards in capacity, efficiency, and quality.”

The statement revealed that the project would be financed with a concessional loan from France to Nigeria, through the French Treasury, of €55 million (N27.2 billion) over 40 years.

The French Ambassador said: “France is deeply committed to supporting initiatives in favour of quality public services in Nigeria, such as that of Governor Makinde, which will directly benefit the people of this State and set new standards in terms of public healthcare.”

She added: “This is a great example of mutually beneficial French-Nigerian cooperation. We are definitely looking forward to the launch of this project – a partnership between the Oyo State Government and a French private company whose savoir faire is renowned throughout the world, with financing from the French government, at very preferential conditions.”

The statement revealed that in detail, “the project will provide particularly for the renovation, modernisation, and extension of several state hospitals in all the zones of the state with maternal and child health centres as part of Oyo State’s maternal and child health (Tomotiya) initiative, as well as emergency medicine and trauma management systems. Ring Road State Hospital in Ibadan will be the flagship centre.”

The project will provide equipment for 200 Primary Healthcare Centres and 10 Dental Centres throughout Oyo State.

The Oyo State Government has recently embarked on the upgrade and construction of new Primary Healthcare Centres, one per ward in the state. Over 200 of the 351 Primary Healthcare Centres have been completed.

The project provides for the supply of the highest quality technologies and equipment. It includes a large training component for local teams and technology transfer. Particular attention will be paid to environmental issues, in compliance with the most demanding international standards.

Under the project, the French Republic will make it possible for the Ministry of Health of Oyo State to benefit from direct technical expertise through an International Technical Expert whose arrival to Ibadan is planned for the first semester/quarter 2023, and whose duties include supporting the implementation of the project over its entire duration.