Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, hands over 12 newly acquired ambulances to public hospitals in Abuja, aiming to strengthen emergency response capacity across the nation’s capital.
The ambulances, procured at a cost of about ₦1.74 billion, are fully equipped to international medical standards and are expected to significantly reduce response times for critical cases.
Speaking during the handover on Thursday, Wike stresses that infrastructure development remains central to making the investment effective.
“These ambulances may break down when there are no good roads. If there is an emergency and the roads are not stable, the whole sense of emergency vehicles becomes useless,” Wike says.
He adds that the FCT Administration prioritises road rehabilitation to ensure emergency assets deliver real value to residents.
Wike explains that the ambulance deployment forms part of a broader healthcare reform agenda, which includes the ongoing rehabilitation and furnishing of 14 primary healthcare centres across the territory.
Health officials say the new fleet marks the first major upgrade to Abuja’s public ambulance system in years, improving patient transport between communities and tertiary hospitals.
The intervention comes amid labour tensions within the FCT public service, with some health workers participating in industrial action under the Joint Union Action Committee.
Despite the challenges, health stakeholders describe the ambulances as a timely boost to emergency preparedness in a fast-growing metropolis, where delays in care have often proved fatal.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 