By Ovat Abeng
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has commissioned and handed over an installed 1.5 TESLA Magnetic Resonance Imaging System to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State.
The Commissioning and handing over ceremony took place at the Igwe Orizu ICT centre NAUTH, Nnewi, on Friday, May 15th, 2026.
In his welcome address, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the provision and installation of the MRI equipment in NAUTH would serve not only the people of Anambra State but the entire South East region.
According to him, today marks a milestone achievement as NNPC Limited commissions and officially hands over an equipment that is critical to optimal healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“The installation of a 1.5 Tesla GE MRI system in a public health institution as the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, for us at NNPC is a testament to what we do in corporate social responsibility (CSR), in addition to managing vast crude oil and gas resources in trust for more than 200 million Nigerians.
“NNPC Limited is committed to doing much more than its investments in the Energy industry.
“Our social investments are viable currencies that intersect our relationship between providing and managing Energy for Nigerians and meeting our stakeholders’ expectations.
In the past few weeks, this will be another major commissioning in Nigeria’s public health sector as we recently commissioned some hospital wards at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos State.
“Nigerias health sector is faced with a myriad of challenges, including infrastructural and equipment deficit, technology limitations, personnel attrition, funding limitations and a host of others.
“NNPC Limited’s intervention at NAUTH is timely as the excruciating management of healthcare will now be eased for both personnel and patients receiving care.
“Thousands of lives within Anambra State and the entire South-East geopolitical zone will be impacted meaningfully with this intervention in place, reducing time, money and other resources spent in seeking medical attention in far-flung centres, in addition to eliminating the inability to access medical care as a result of the lack of needed resources.
“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.
“Social value creation is integral to our commitment, and credibility and trust with our stakeholders depend on delivering projects that are visible, impactful and sustainable.
“Consequently, we ensure strict compliance with extant processes so that the social interventions implemented by the NNPC Foundation are fact-based, relatable and verifiable.
“Today’s ceremony attests to this value that we imbibe and NNPC Limited has delivered without half measures. Inclusive to our CSR mandate is that, in a relatively short time, through the NNPC Foundation, our commitment has translated into meaningful impact across all the States and the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, where we have empowered millions of Nigerian youths with basic knowledge for self-reliance, built capacity with local farmers to beef up food security and supported infrastructural development among other significant projects.
“NNPC’s operation and focus remain clear to prioritise production, which we have demonstrated with the 365,000-bpd production in December 2025.
“We are expanding opportunities in deep waters and driving gas commercialisation for domestic, regional and export markets. Across our value chains, we are committed to cost leadership, process compliance and measurable outcomes.
“I acknowledge the Management and Staff of NAUTH for their dedicated service despite the enormous challenges.
“I also acknowledge the collaborative efforts of all key stakeholders on this milestone achievement and assure us that NNPC Limited will continue to invest with discipline and purpose and continue to strengthen and touch lives positively across Nigeria.
“As we handover this 1.5 Tesla GE MRI System, I urge all stakeholders to protect the facility from neglect and to ensure their sustenance for posterity, the NNPC boss admonished.”
In his acceptance speech, the Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Dr Joe Ugboaja, appreciated the NNPC Foundation for the humanitarian gesture.
He said installation of the MRI equipment would further improve quality healthcare services to residents of Anambra State, South East region and Nigeria as a whole. The foundation has brought hope to the hopeless.
“Our vision is to be among the best Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria.”
Ugboaja assure the NNPC Foundation of adequate sustainability of the MRI equipment.
In her remark, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation Limited/GTE, Lady Emmanuella Arukwe, said the installation of MRI system will now significantly bridge the gap in quality and efficient healthcare delivery to Nigerians in the South-East geopolitical zone.
According to her, Nigeria Health Watch report (2024) notes that an estimated over 250,000 Nigerians die annually due to insufficient access to healthcare.
The report also notes that many underserved communities in Nigeria face limited access to quality medical services and inadequate infrastructure in addition to skilled personnel.
“What NNPC Limited through its Foundation has achieved today is significantly and pragmatically addressing these inadequacies with the MRI installation.
“With the MRI installation, we address the issue of effective diagnosis and treatment, patient referrals to distant locations and the associated risks of travelling to access care at those locations, stress and psychological trauma, and we also significantly close the gap of impoverishing healthcare expenditure arising from huge spend with limited or scarce resources.
“The equipment would be beneficial to not only patient care but to serve as a veritable capacity development avenue for Nigeria’s future medical personnel,” she noted.
Arukwe express profound appreciation to the GCEO, NNPC Limited, Engr.Ojulari and the management of NNPC Limited for the support in actualising the project.
She appreciated the management and staff of NAUTH for their diligence and commitment to saving lives. And also the Anambra State Government, traditional rulers and other key stakeholder who have graced the occasion.
The event was also attended by traditional rulers, delegation from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, representatives from South East Teaching Hospitals, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, Anambra State Executive Committee of the All Progressive Congress APC led by it Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, among others.
