The NNPC Foundation has commissioned and handed over a fully installed 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The intervention is aimed at improving access to advanced diagnostic imaging services for millions of residents across the South-East states of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, as well as neighbouring Delta State.
According to NNPC Ltd., the project included the delivery, installation, calibration, testing and commissioning of the state-of-the-art MRI machine alongside supporting infrastructure such as RF shielding systems, chillers, backup UPS systems, electrical installations, ventilation systems, CCTV, oxygen monitoring systems, intercom facilities and other patient-support technologies.
Before the intervention, patients requiring MRI diagnostic services reportedly faced long waiting periods, high medical costs and the challenge of travelling considerable distances to access functional imaging centres.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony held at the Igwe Orizu ICT Centre, NAUTH Permanent Site, on Friday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in healthcare access and improved patient outcomes.
“The installation of the MRI in NAUTH exemplifies our commitment as our intent is to build enduring institutions, sustainable systems and legacies. This intervention aligns with our conviction that access to quality healthcare underpins human dignity, longevity and economic productivity,” he said.
Ojulari added that the company’s social investments remain critical to strengthening relationships between its core energy mandate and stakeholder expectations.
In his remarks, Charles Soludo, represented by the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, said the MRI facility would improve accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients across the South-East region.
He commended the NNPC Foundation for the donation, noting that the intervention would significantly enhance access to quality healthcare services in the state.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Business Services at NNPC Ltd., Sophia Mbakwe, represented by the company’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, Isokariari Telema, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to impactful social investments.
“In over forty years of its existence, NNPC has stayed the course in impacting lives positively across Nigeria – supporting infrastructural development, social amenities, educational sponsorships and several other initiatives that reflect our values of integrity, excellence and sustainability,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Joseph Ugboaja, praised the leadership of NNPC Ltd. for prioritising healthcare development and pledged that the hospital would maximise the facility for public benefit.
“For too long, patients in our catchment area have had to travel long distances to access this level of diagnostic precision, often at prohibitive costs. With this installation, we will eliminate that burden,” Ugboaja stated.
He added that the donation demonstrated that corporate social responsibility could serve as a lifeline for critical public institutions.
