NNPC Ltd. donates fully installed 1.5 tesla MRI machine to Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Kola Oyelere Kano
The NNPC Ltd. has donated a fully installed 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the country.
The MRI facility was commissioned and handed over by the NNPC Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of NNPC Ltd., during a ceremony held on Friday at the Igwe Orizu ICT Centre, NAUTH Permanent Site in Nnewi.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Andy Odeh, and made available to journalists in Kano.
According to the Foundation, the intervention forms part of the company’s commitment to improving healthcare access and strengthening medical infrastructure across Nigeria.
The project is expected to improve access to advanced diagnostic imaging services for residents of the South-East states of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, as well as neighbouring Delta State.
The intervention covered the delivery, installation, calibration, testing and commissioning of the MRI machine alongside supporting infrastructure such as RF shielding systems, chillers, backup UPS systems, electrical installations, imaging accessories, ventilation systems, CCTV, oxygen monitoring systems and intercom communication facilities.
Before the installation, patients in need of advanced MRI diagnostic services reportedly faced long waiting periods, huge costs and the burden of travelling long distances to access functional imaging centres.
Speaking at the event, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation Ltd./Gte, Emmanuella Arukwe, described the project as a strategic investment aimed at improving healthcare access and patient outcomes.
He said the installation reflected the company’s commitment to building enduring institutions and sustainable systems, adding that quality healthcare remained essential to human dignity, longevity and economic productivity.
Representing the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, the Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, commended the NNPC Foundation for the donation, noting that it would improve accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients across the South-East region.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Business Services, NNPC Ltd., Sophia Mbakwe, represented by the Chief Supply Chain Officer, Isokariari Telema, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to social investments that positively impact Nigerians.
She noted that for over four decades, NNPC had continued to support infrastructure development, educational sponsorships and other initiatives nationwide.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Joseph Ugboaja, praised NNPC Ltd. for recognising the importance of healthcare to national development.
Ugboaja said the MRI installation would reduce the burden on patients who previously travelled long distances and incurred high costs to access advanced diagnostic services, assuring that the hospital would maximise the facility for public benefit.