The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has donated an ultra-modern laboratory complex valued at $500,000 to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, as part of its corporate social responsibility and strategic partnership initiative.
The project is part of NLNG’s nationwide Hospital Support Programme (HSP), designed to enhance healthcare delivery and diagnostic services across Nigeria.
Speaking at the commissioning of newly established Haematology and Blood Transfusion Laboratory Complex at the ATBUTH on Thursday, NLNG’s Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, said the project underscores the company’s long-term commitment to improving lives through sustainable investments in health infrastructure.
“We are pleased that this partnership has resulted in a world-class laboratory complex, built following a detailed needs assessment. This facility will significantly enhance diagnostic capacity and support both clinicians and patients,” Mshelbila stated.
Mshelbila, represented by the Executive of External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, highlighted similar interventions by NLNG, including recent facilities launched in Delta, Bayelsa, and the Federal Capital Territory, noting that the programme was creating a network of care across the nation.
The HSP, launched in July 2021, covers 12 federal university teaching hospitals, including facilities in all six geopolitical zones and the FCT.
“Beyond our energy operations, we are determined to leave a lasting social impact. Our commitment to local development is as strong as our global aspirations,” Mshelbila added.
He stressed that, NLNG has in the past 20 years contributed to government revenues, dedicated 100% of its LPG products used as cooking gas to the Nigerian market, $and we continue to support Nigerian companies that do business with us to grow.”
For his part, Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Professor Yusuf Bara Jibrin, expressed deep appreciation to NLNG, calling the new facility a symbol of resilience, progress, and renewed hope for improved healthcare outcomes in Bauchi, the North-East, and Nigeria at large.
“At a time when accurate diagnostics and early disease detection are crucial, this laboratory is a critical asset in our fight against communicable and non-communicable diseases, including Lassa fever, rising cancer cases, and antibiotic resistance,” Prof. Jibrin said.
He described the laboratory as a “fortress of response,” equipped to deliver timely and accurate medical diagnoses, technologies, and manpower to detect, analyse, and inform timely medical interventions.
According to him, the facility will strengthen ATBUTH’s tri-mandate of clinical service, research, and teaching, enhancing the speed and accuracy of lab results, supporting international research trials, and offering real-time diagnostic exposure for medical students and trainees.
“NLNG has not only built a facility; they have strengthened the nation’s frontline in the battle against delayed diagnoses and inadequate healthcare,” he added.
The CMD stressed that, “We are living in a time when the importance of diagnostic accuracy, early disease detection, and medical research cannot be overstated.”
He added that, Nigeria, like many countries, continues to confront the burdens of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Recent surges in Lassa fever outbreaks, rising cancer incidences, and emerging antibiotic resistance trends pose serious public health challenges.”
He assured that the facility will bolster those efforts towards providing necessary infrastructure to support local and international research trials, thereby enhancing the institution’s credibility as a destination for cutting-edge medical science in West Africa.
“On the teaching front, we are proud to say that this laboratory will serve as a live classroom for our students, residents, and laboratory trainees. With structured exposure to real-time diagnostics and advanced procedures, the next generation of healthcare professionals will graduate with not just theoretical knowledge but practical excellence rooted in global best practice,” he added.
According to him, “This newly constructed Laboratory Complex represents a significant asset to the department. Therefore, the establishment of a dedicated and appropriately accommodated Community Medicine Complex will give a full public health impact.”
He commended the Nigeria LNG Limited for doing more than fulfilling a corporate social responsibility mandate, adding, “you have written your name in the book of healthcare transformation in Nigeria. Your foresight, generosity, and alignment with national healthcare goals inspire us,” he commended.
He assured that ATBUTH was making financial provisions in its operational plans and budgets to ensure that this laboratory remains a jewel for decades by being functional, responsive, and continually upgraded as technologies evolve.
The CMD stressed that, “This project represents a model worthy of replication. It proves that a strategic partnership between government institutions and the private sector can yield meaningful and lasting impact.”
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