Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the official launch of the Avon Medical Ultramodern Facility in Lagos on April 14, 2025, challenged medical experts to stay in Nigeria and contribute to the country’s healthcare system.
Gatekeepers News reports that Sanwo-Olu emphasised the need for collaboration between the government and private sector to improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria. He praised Avon Medical’s 16-year journey, from starting as a small clinic to building a 50-bed, full-diagnostic hospital with obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and neonatal care.
The governor highlighted Lagos State’s commitment to healthcare, citing the construction of several mother-and-child hospitals, a large pediatric hospital, and a mental health facility that can accommodate over 1,000 patients. He also emphasized the importance of investing in healthcare infrastructure and encouraged private investors to partner with the government.
Sanwo-Olu urged medical professionals not to abandon the country in search of opportunities abroad. He commended Avon Medical’s founder, Dr. Awele Elumelu, for her dedication to improving healthcare in Nigeria. He expressed optimism that the facility would serve as a model for other investors and contribute to reducing the country’s healthcare challenges.
In his words: “… I want to encourage all of her staff, that please, bear with us. It’s tough sometimes, but don’t give up on us. It’s not an opportunity that JAPA is a solution.
“No, here is the solution. Let us build our own health institutions. Let’s reverse the over $2 billion that we say we take out on a year-on-year basis.
“It’s no longer just a lip service thing. It’s an investment that we all need to have. And to all of you, investment bankers that are in the audience today, please, it’s not everything that should go into those other forms of investment.
“Let real estate medical investment be your own, charge-out, your own growth, so that when you also grow old, you can look back and say that I created a facility. I want to be treated in that facility, and God will help all of us. So, thank you very much for inviting us.
“We’re indeed happy about this engagement. And I say to my other citizens, let there be another commissioning of another bigger medical facility tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.”
