By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, has launched a dialysis machine at the university’s medical centre in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on affordable healthcare delivery.
Under the new arrangement, students of the institution will access dialysis services free of charge, while staff and members of the public will enjoy treatment at a subsidized rate below ₦13,000 — a move widely commended as a practical step toward improved healthcare access and campus welfare.
This initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s directive that the cost of dialysis in public health facilities should not exceed ₦15,000, underscoring the administration’s commitment to easing the financial burden on Nigerians battling kidney-related ailments.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Prof. Arinze-Umobi reaffirmed the university’s resolve to align with national policies that promote equitable health access and quality service delivery.
She noted that the dialysis unit would significantly reduce the economic strain on kidney patients within and beyond the university community.
“These developments reflect our vision of building a university that embodies innovation, excellence, and community service,” she said.
The newly installed dialysis machine forms part of a series of projects commissioned by the Acting Vice-Chancellor across UNIZIK’s campuses to enhance student welfare, academic convenience, and staff wellbeing.
At the Agulu campus, she inaugurated a newly completed student hostel to address the long-standing accommodation deficit.
The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Sunday Nduka, lauded her proactive leadership, describing the project as a “timely intervention that will greatly ease students’ living conditions.”
Similarly, at the Mbawkwu campus, the Vice-Chancellor commissioned a modern toilet facility, a functional borehole, and solar-powered streetlights.
The Director, Prof. Paul Okolie, hailed the projects as “transformative,” noting that the new facilities would enhance campus comfort, sanitation, and security.
The UNIZIK Medical Centre also received a new X-ray imaging machine, further strengthening its diagnostic capacity and expanding health service delivery to the university community.
Reinforcing campus security, the Acting Vice-Chancellor inaugurated a CCTV Surveillance Unit at the Office of the Chief Security Officer (CSO), as part of her “UNIZIK Free and Safe” initiative aimed at ensuring a secure learning environment.
In addition, she performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the proposed UNIZIK Microfinance Bank Ltd, designed to improve the financial wellbeing of university staff.
She also commissioned buses for free staff transportation and distributed waste bins across all 17 faculties and the administrative block to promote environmental cleanliness and sustainable waste management.
Prof. Arinze-Umobi emphasized that the projects reflect her administration’s unwavering dedication to infrastructural growth, welfare-driven leadership, and academic excellence.
With the establishment of the dialysis centre, Nnamdi Azikiwe University joins the growing list of institutions advancing the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda through people-centred initiatives that prioritize affordable healthcare, student welfare, and institutional development.
