By Steve Oko

The Abia State Government has announced plans to build a world-class medical city to curb medical tourism and position the state as a referral hub for healthcare in Nigeria.

Speaking during a media tour of the proposed site at Mbasaa, near Owerrinta in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, described the initiative as one of the legacy projects of Governor Alex Otti’s administration.

The Abia Medical City, estimated to cost $1.3 billion, will span 200 hectares of land across seven communities in Isiala Ngwa South and North LGAs. The project will be funded by development partners, MKP International Holdings, while the state government will provide the land, security, and institutional support.

“This medical city is the first quaternary hospital in Nigeria that will handle all levels of complex healthcare issues,” Uche said.

He noted that the project, which is being undertaken by MKP International Holdings—a reputable global engineering, procurement, and construction consortium—will be developed, funded, and operated under a build-operate-transfer model.

“Medical tourism is a major driver of capital flight in Nigeria, with an estimated $1.6 billion lost annually. This project seeks to reverse that trend and address the brain drain in the medical sector.”

The facility will feature a 1,000-bed ultra-modern hospital equipped to handle a wide range of medical specialties, including oncology, radiotherapy, radiosurgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, organ transplants, cardiac care, and cosmetic surgery.

Other components of the medical city include:

An ultra-modern children’s hospital

A fertility and ophthalmology centre

A diagnostic and digital health technology hub

A five-star hotel and a medical step-down hotel

A tourist village

Research institutes affiliated with global universities

“We have already received expressions of interest from top-tier U.S. universities interested in partnerships,” Uche added.

He emphasized that the ecosystem will also serve as a training hub for top-tier healthcare professionals and offer affiliation opportunities with global institutions.

Justifying the project’s location, Uche highlighted its strategic proximity to several cities and transport hubs: “The site is 35 minutes from Owerri Airport, 25 minutes from the Abia Airport under construction, one hour from Port Harcourt, and within two hours of Akwa Ibom, Onitsha, and Enugu. It’s one hour by air from Lagos and Abuja.”

He also revealed that Governor Otti has commenced the construction of access roads to the site.

The flag-off ceremony, initially scheduled for May 23, has been moved to early June, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expected to formally launch the project.