A large 250-bed hospital in Ogun State, intended to be a premier medical facility, remains abandoned and deteriorating despite significant investment and promises of completion.
The hospital, located in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, was initially constructed under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who left office with the project over 80% complete.
The facility, painted white and outfitted with advanced medical equipment, was visited by former President Muhammadu Buhari before Amosun’s tenure ended in 2019. Despite substantial funding from the federal government and a commitment from contractors, the hospital has yet to become operational.
Kehinde, who recently lost her brother Idowu to a car accident, lamented the consequences of the hospital’s incomplete status. She recounted, “When I got to the hospital, the doctor told my mum that if he had got medical attention five minutes earlier, he wouldn’t have died. One of the civil defence officers who brought him to the hospital said if only the government had completed the hospital opposite the state secretariat, he would still be alive.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun, who succeeded Amosun, initially stated that his administration lacked the capacity to complete and manage the hospital, citing high operational costs. He announced plans to concession the facility to Afrexim Bank and a medical group but did not deliver on this promise.
Eight months later, the hospital’s condition has worsened. The building is overtaken by weeds, with its paint peeling and windows dirty. Inside, numerous medical and electrical equipment remain unused, including a completed oxygen plant and several generators. Contractors revealed that the equipment has been maintained despite the facility’s neglect, incurring substantial costs.
A source from the Ogun State Ministry of Health disclosed that the projected costs to make the hospital operational have soared to between N7 billion and N10 billion, up from the N2 billion estimated when the previous administration left office.
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Afolabi Orekoya, spokesperson for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, criticized the governor for neglecting the project. He stated, “The 250-bed hospital, if completed, would have put Ogun State on the national map for medical tourism. It’s disappointing that such a significant project has been abandoned in favor of less critical ones like the cargo airport.”
In response, All Progressives Congress spokesperson Tunde Oladunjoye dismissed these criticisms as attempts to undermine the current administration. He said, “The PDP’s claims are an attempt to distract from their own failures and to paint the governor in a negative light.”
Efforts to obtain comments from Health Commissioner Tomi Coker and the governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Kayode Akinmade, were unsuccessful as they were unavailable for comment.
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