NLNG, on Thursday, commissioned a state-of-the-art modern laboratory complex at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), reaffirming its commitment to improving access to quality healthcare across the country.
The milestone is part of the company’s flagship Hospital Support Programme (HSP), an ongoing initiative aimed at improving Nigeria’s medical infrastructure and enhancing healthcare delivery nationwide. The commissioning is coming after a recent opening of a neonatal ward and intensive care unit at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba by the Company.
The new facility, the tenth in the list of completed projects, is outfitted with advanced diagnostic technology, significantly boosting the hospital’s capacity for accurate and timely diagnosis. The laboratory complex harbours an Automated Tissue Processing Machine, Cryostat, Immunoassay Analyser, ELISA Washer, haematology systems, vein finders, and specialised microscopes. The facility also features purpose-built workspaces for sample preparation and storage, solar-powered electrical systems for uninterrupted operations, automated access controls, and modern reception and waiting areas, all designed for safety, efficiency, and comfort.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, represented by Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, emphasised that the Hospital Support Programme offered Bauchi State a vital partnership and gave NLNG the opportunity to actualise its vision of improving lives sustainably through the provision of healthcare infrastructure. He noted that the programme reinforces NLNG’s belief in what is possible when private enterprise and public good align with purpose.
He stressed that the project was informed by a detailed needs assessment, resulting in a facility that would significantly enhance diagnostic capacity and provide better support to both clinicians and patients.
Mshelbila further remarked that NLNG was building a network of care across the country through HSP. He noted that the HSP has transformed medical services in all the beneficiary institutions, boosting the confidence of medical practitioners and raising public hope for improved healthcare.
Highlighting the pressing need for advanced diagnostic capabilities in Nigeria, especially in light of rising incidences of Lassa fever, antibiotic resistance, and cancer, Professor Yusuf Bara Jibrin, Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, emphasised that the laboratory stands as “a fortress of response, equipped with the tools, technologies, and manpower to detect, analyse, and inform timely medical interventions.”
The CMD lauded NLNG for going beyond the bounds of corporate social responsibility, adding that ATBUTH had instituted a maintenance and operations framework to ensure the facility’s long-term sustainability.
The HSP has impacted ten health institutions across Nigeria, providing healthcare infrastructure for obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, occupational therapy, and neuromodulation rehabilitation, among others. NLNG remains at the forefront of private sector contributions to healthcare delivery in Nigeria, investing not just in energy, but also in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
