By Paul Williams
Nigeria’s gas company, NLNG, has commissioned a state-of-the-art laboratory complex at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
The project, commissioned on Thursday, June 26, 2025, is part of the company’s flagship Hospital Support Programme (HSP), highlights NLNG’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare across the country.
NLNG’s Hospital Support Programme (HSP) is an ongoing initiative, aimed at improving Nigeria’s medical infrastructure and enhancing healthcare delivery nationwide.
The commissioning came after the recent opening of a neonatal ward and intensive care unit at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba by the company.
A statement by Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, said the new facility, the tenth in the list of completed projects, is outfitted with advanced diagnostic technology, significantly boosting the hospital’s capacity for accurate and timely diagnosis.
The laboratory complex harbours an Automated Tissue Processing Machine, Cryostat, Immunoassay Analyser, ELISA Washer, haematology systems, vein finders, and specialised microscopes.
It also features purpose-built workspaces for sample preparation and storage, solar-powered electrical systems for uninterrupted operations, automated access controls, and modern reception and waiting areas, all designed for safety, efficiency, and comfort, the statement said.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Philip Mshelbila, represented by the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, pointed out that the Hospital Support Programme offered Bauchi State a vital partnership and gave NLNG the opportunity to actualise its vision of improving lives sustainably through the provision of healthcare infrastructure.
He noted that the programme reinforces NLNG’s belief in what is possible when private enterprise and public good align with purpose.
Mshelbila stressed that the project was informed by a detailed needs assessment, resulting in a facility that would significantly enhance diagnostic capacity and provide better support to both clinicians and patients.
He further said that NLNG was building a network of care across the country through HSP, adding that the HSP has transformed medical services in all the beneficiary institutions, while boosting the confidence of medical practitioners and raising public hope for improved healthcare.
Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Professor Yusuf Bara Jibrin, while highlighting the pressing need for advanced diagnostic capabilities in Nigeria, especially in light of rising incidences of Lassa fever, antibiotic resistance, and cancer, emphasised that the laboratory stands as “a fortress of response, equipped with the tools, technologies, and manpower to detect, analyse, and inform timely medical interventions.”
The CMD lauded NLNG for going beyond the bounds of corporate social responsibility, adding that ATBUTH had instituted a maintenance and operations framework to ensure the facility’s long-term sustainability.
The HSP has impacted ten health institutions across Nigeria, providing healthcare infrastructure for obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, occupational therapy, and neuromodulation rehabilitation, among others.
NLNG remains at the forefront of private sector contributions to healthcare delivery in Nigeria, investing not just in energy, but also in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
