By David Onwuchekwa
The transformation taking place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, under the leadership of Professor Joseph Ugboaja, OON, is a remarkable example of how focused leadership can bring national policy to life at the institutional level.
His efforts reflect the essence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the health sector.
What Prof. Ugboaja is doing at NAUTH goes beyond administrative routine; it is a deliberate, strategic overhaul aimed at rewriting the story of tertiary healthcare in Nigeria.
By relocating the hospital to its expansive permanent site, he is laying the foundation for what can rightly be called a “medical megacity.”
With over 2,000-bed capacity and specialist centres like trauma and emergency units, mother-and-child hospitals, and a regional diagnostic complex, NAUTH is positioning itself as a centre of medical excellence in West Africa.This aligns squarely with the president’s goal of curbing medical tourism.
For years, Nigerians have spent billions seeking care abroad for services that, with the right investment, can be delivered locally.
By commissioning a state-of-the-art Radio-Diagnostic Centre and other modern facilities, Prof. Ugboaja is helping to reverse that trend.Equally commendable is his 10-year strategic plan to push NAUTH into the top echelon of African teaching hospitals.
His approach is holistic, focusing not just on infrastructure, but also on equipment, staff welfare, research, and governance.
Over 1,000 new staff, including hundreds of nurses and consultants, have been recruited to bridge manpower gaps.
Rural outreach through annex facilities in remote parts of Anambra further shows a commitment to equitable healthcare access, echoing Tinubu’s emphasis on decentralization and grassroots coverage.
Digital health systems now operational at NAUTH also speak to the push for modern, efficient, and transparent healthcare delivery, another cornerstone of the federal vision.
While many institutions groan under the weight of inertia and underfunding, NAUTH under Prof. Ugboaja is writing a new narrative: one of initiative, excellence, and alignment with national goals. It is no surprise that the federal health ministry and even private partners have found confidence in his administration.
What this tells us is that with the right leadership and alignment with national priorities, Nigeria’s health sector can rise above its current challenges.
Prof. Ugboaja is proving that bold vision and disciplined execution are key ingredients for change. If replicated across other institutions, Nigeria could well be on its way to achieving the universal health coverage and medical self-sufficiency envisioned by President Tinubu.
