Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Thursday inaugurated the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) in Abuja, a landmark 500-bed facility developed to transform healthcare delivery across the continent.
Okay.ng reports that the centre, established by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London, is set to bridge critical healthcare gaps in Africa, with specialized services in oncology, haematology, cardiovascular care, and general surgery. It will also function as a hub for advanced medical research and training.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the ceremony, Shettima said the AMCE reflects Africa’s readiness to compete globally in medical excellence, describing the project as “a medical renaissance.”
“The healthcare facility is proof that Africa is prepared to compete with the best medical services around the world,” Shettima stated. “It is an example of what becomes possible when institutions rise to African challenges with African solutions.”
He praised Afreximbank’s leadership and vision, saying, “I must pay tribute to Afreximbank and its visionary president for seeing what many dared not dream. I salute the partnership with King’s College Hospital and the brilliant minds behind this.”
The vice president noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s agenda to fix Nigeria’s broken healthcare system, including the signing of an executive order aimed at unlocking the healthcare value chain and the launch of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
“A world-class hospital cannot function on a dirt road, and no MRI machine works without stable electricity,” he said. “This centre will benefit from the investments and reforms we have championed, and it is also a reminder that the ultimate measure of a functional nation is the synergy between the government and private sector players to co-create solutions.”
Brian Deaver, CEO of the AMCE, described the launch as a milestone for Africa and a signal that cutting-edge healthcare is now homegrown.
“This is where engineering meets compassion, where precision meets empathy, and where patients will meet a new standard of care—one defined not by borders but by excellence,” Deaver said. “The African Medical Centre of Excellence is African-dreamed, African-built, and soon, African-renowned.”
He thanked Afreximbank for its financial commitment and the Federal Government of Nigeria for consistent support.
Also speaking, Benedict Oramah, president of Afreximbank, emphasized the project’s role in addressing Africa’s healthcare sovereignty, calling it the first of several centres planned across the continent.
“We want this initiative to lead in providing solutions to the African healthcare problems—outbound medical tourism, limited research on diseases affecting people of African descent, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure,” Oramah said.
With the capacity to serve over 350,000 patients in its first five years, the AMCE signals a bold step forward in reversing medical tourism trends and establishing Africa as a destination for advanced healthcare solutions.
