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RSG Unveils Private Hospitals Aid Scheme …Says No Plans To Kill Public Hospitals
To ensure that more residents of Rivers State have access to quality healthcare, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike on Wednesday flagged off the private hospitals loan scheme.
The first batch of the scheme shall witness 37 hospitals in the state access N500million to upgrade their facilities and improve their service to the people.
Seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, while 30 are from Rivers State.
Flagging off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously.
He said that the state government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of the beneficiaries, while the beneficiaries will pay the principal sum.
The governor said: “This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.
“Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state, hence our decision to create this loan scheme to support their improvement”.
He noted that the beneficiaries of the N500million loan will form the first batch, pointing out that their successful application of the funds will lead to another batch.
In his remarks, Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr Theophilus Odagme lauded the governor for his investment in the health sector.
He said at present 17 general hospitals are being rehabilitated by the Wike administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association.
The commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.
Representative of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Ibitoru Korubo, said that the governor’s intervention will help in reviving the health sector in the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre, Eleme said that the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme should be emulated by other states and the Federal Government.
He said that the intervention was relevant because 80 percent of Nigerians access healthcare through private health facilities.
Meanwhile, some experts in the health sector in Rivers State have given their support to the new Rivers State Government loan to private hospitals in the state.
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced a N500 million loan scheme for private hospitals last two months after meeting with stakeholders in the health sector.
Chairman State Primary School Board, Prof. Princewill Chike, told The Tide in a chat that the scheme will boost health care services as against the view that such loan should have been channelled to public hospitals.
Chike said, “This kind of thing has never been done in the country before and this is how India overtook many other countries in health care delivery today.”
The professor of medicine argued that since the country has huge manpower in the health sector, such loan scheme will help boost facilities, research and encourage the private practitioners to improve their services and even reduce their charges on the public.
With improved services and facilities in the private hospitals, Chike maintained that pressure on government hospitals will also be reduced.
He, however, pointed out that the scheme introduced by Wike administration will challenge the Federal Government to meet its statutory obligations of funding health care, while revealing that since this year health care centres in the state have not received federal funding, except the ones remitted by the state and local governments.
Chike submitted that, “the present government has the interest of the people at heart. So, for me, the gesture the governor extended to the private hospitals is not to kill public hospitals but will rather aid them to meet standards and services they offer.”
Chairman of the Private Hospital Loan Scheme and Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof Blessing Didia, explained that what the Wike administration has demonstrated is to replicate what obtains abroad.
“If you travel overseas you will discover that most of the hospitals there do not actually belong to the government even in Dubai where most of us go to take treatment. So this loan scheme will ensure that many Nigerians don’t travel abroad again,” Didia stated.
In the light of this, Didia held that government has provided a platform for private hospitals to raise their services and standards, assuring that if the pilot scheme succeeds then a second batch of private hospitals will get the loan.
He explained that the beneficiaries about 37 of them are to get moratorium of three months before paying back, as the state government has taken care of the interest already.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, has ruled out political considerations in the selection of hospitals which benefitted from the scheme.
He told The Tide that a careful selection process was carried out and that, “this loan was not given to PDP or APC members. There were no political considerations whatever because we had town hall meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association and nobody was asked whether he was APC or PDP.”
The commissioner promised that the loan will be utilized by the hospitals selected, and promised that when once the first batch ends, the second phase will kick off.
He also defended the scheme with the view that it will reduce pressure on public hospitals pointing out that most of the newly rehabilitated public hospitals will serve as referrals to the health centres in the rural areas.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that the country would win the fight against insecurity.
The President gave the assurance at the Argungu International Fishing Festival in Argungu town, Kebbi State, on Saturday.
He noted that the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kebbi and neighbouring states was the result of sustained investments in security intelligence, coordination among security agencies, and community engagement.
Tinubu assured farmers and fishermen of sustained federal support to guarantee food security and safety across the country.
“The peace we are witnessing today is not accidental. It is the outcome of deliberate and sustained efforts. I assure you that the fight against banditry, insurgency, and insecurity will be won.
“Our farmers, fishermen, traders, and families will go about their lawful activities without fear,” he assured.
The President commended the organisers of the festival for sustaining the cultural event for decades, noting that it had endured for 83 years despite social and security challenges.
Describing the Argungu festival as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence, Tinubu stated that it reflects the richness of the country’s culture and the opportunities to harness its natural and human resources for national growth.
He said, “Today, this festival stands as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence among our people.
“It reflects the richness of our culture, the strength of our traditions, and the opportunities inherent in harnessing our natural and human resources for national development.”
The President was received by a large crowd of residents, traditional rulers, fishermen, tourists, and government officials from across the country.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth and women empowerment, irrigation development, rural electrification, and agricultural productivity.
Earlier, the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, said his administration was determined to elevate the Argungu Fishing Festival to full international standards while pursuing aggressive development across critical sectors of the state.
The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
The mission made this known in a notice shared on its official X page, yesterday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day,” the post read.
According to the embassy, Presidents’ Day was originally established to honour the birthday of the former US President, George Washington, but has evolved into a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents and their leadership in shaping the country’s history.
The embassy noted that the holiday also recognises the influence of U.S. presidents on global affairs.
In a related message, the mission highlighted that Washington created the first “Badge of Military Merit,” which later became the Purple Heart. The medal still bears Washington’s image today.
Presidents’ Day is observed on the third Monday of February annually in the United States as a federal holiday.
News
Guterres Backs Nigeria’s Bid For UN Security Council Seat …Hails Tinubu’s Reforms, Regional Security Role
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has charged Nigeria with spearheading Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres, who backed Nigeria’s bid for the world body’s security council seat, also praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions, despite facing its own security challenges.
The UN scribe made the remarks last Friday night during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking during the meeting, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism placed it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.
“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” he said.
The UN Secretary-General and the vice president discussed key developments in Nigeria and the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.
Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration to advance global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and a coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in advancing global peace, noting that Africa has benefited immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.
“We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” the vice president said.
Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.
He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa.
