The $300 million tertiary medical facility, developed by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with King’s College Hospital London, welcomed His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as guest of honour, represented by His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Other high-ranking Government and private sector officials, who were present at the launch included the Minsters of Health, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, Nigeria Customs Services, Nigeria Immigration Services, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and Bank of Industry (BOI), among others.

Located in Abuja and designed to meet the highest global standards, AMCE Abuja offers world- class services across oncology, haematology, cardiology, and general medical services. 

More than a hospital, the facility represents a bold statement of Africa’s determination to reduce dependence on foreign health systems and reverse the estimated $6-10 billion Africans spend annually seeking treatment abroad.

The opening of AMCE Abuja comes at a critical time, as Africa seeks to strengthen its healthcare systems and reduce reliance on external providers. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of this reliance, with global supply shortages putting immense pressure on African nations. 

Similarly, past responses to health crises like Ebola have reinforced the urgent need for resilient, homegrown solutions. Decades after independence, millions of Africans continue to suffer from diseases like sickle cell and malaria, conditions that could be better managed with targeted local research and investment. 

Yet these illnesses often receive limited global attention or funding, leaving critical treatment gaps. AMCE Abuja represents a bold step forward, bringing world-class care to the continent, centering African health priorities, and laying the groundwork for a healthier, more self-reliant future. 

In strategic partnership with Bank of Industry (BOI), and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), AMCE reflects what’s possible when African institutions unite with shared purpose.

“Today, we are not merely unveiling a building, we are making a bold, collective statement: we will no longer accept medical vulnerability as destiny. The African Medical Centre of Excellence stands as proof that Africa is ready to compete with the best in global healthcare.

“I commend Afreximbank and its visionary President, Professor Benedict Oramah, and salute the partnership with King’s College Hospital for turning this audacious dream into reality. This is what happens when African institutions confront African challenges with African solutions.

“Over the past two years, we have taken deliberate steps to transform Nigeria’s health sector— from unlocking the healthcare value chain through the Presidential Initiative (PVAC), to expanding pharmaceutical production, regulatory systems, and diagnostic access, and securing over $2.2 billion in new investments through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Initiative.

“But excellence must be sustained. That’s why we’re investing in the roads, power, and connectivity that enable great institutions to thrive. With the largest stem cell lab in West Africa and plans for a medical school, this Centre is more than a hospital, it is a place to heal the sick, and to train the future,” H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by H.E. Senator Kashim Shettima, vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Commenting on the momentous achievement, Prof. Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of the Board of Directors of both Afreximbank and AMCE, thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for providing the land on which the AMCE stands, adding: 

“In 2013, I had my own close call when I became seriously ill and was evacuated to King’s College Hospital in London, where a frantic battle to save my life ensued. Being here today is a testament to the power of cutting-edge medical research, clinical knowledge, and a solid healthcare ecosystem.

“The event we mark today is proof that society is better off saving lives than burying its dead, and that it is a living person who can contribute to development and social transformation. 

“This experience led me to conclude that one of the major contributions I could make to Africa was to help Afreximbank deliver on its health and medical strategy in every way possible.

“Our vision for the African Medical Centre of Excellence is not just to provide top-notch healthcare but to serve as a catalyst for the transformation of the African health sector, making a bold statement to the world that Africa is finally taking its destiny into its own hands in healthcare sovereignty and global standards.”

President Oramah also announced the launch of the Africa Life Sciences Foundation, to act as the vehicle for mobilising appropriate risk capital to drive research efforts and called on African and non-African governments, banks, high net worth individuals, and corporate organisations to join the Bank in investing in the hospital through this platform.

Brian Deaver, chief executive officer of AMCE, highlighted the facility’s comprehensive approach: “Today, we don’t just open a hospital, we launch a healthcare revolution for Africa. AMCE represents a paradigm shift in how specialised medical care is delivered on the continent.

“Our integrated model encompasses early diagnosis, advanced treatment, and long-term disease management, creating a seamless continuum of care that improves patient outcomes and health experiences.”

He added: “Our mission extends beyond treatment to include world-class medical education, groundbreaking research, and continuous innovation. By combining international expertise with local talent development, AMCE will build sustainable healthcare capacity that serves generations to come.”

AMCE’s opening signals a new era for Africa, one in which self-reliance replaces dependency, and world-class care is no longer the privilege of a few but the standard for many. 

By anchoring healthcare delivery, talent development, and innovation on the continent, AMCE is not just stemming the outflow of medical dollars, but redefining Africa’s place in the global health ecosystem.

Through its clinical partnerships with King’s College Hospital, London and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, AMCE will be home to advance research, education, and medical excellence by fostering continuous knowledge exchange. 

In its next phase, AMCE will expand to include a second 350-bed hospital, medical and nursing schools, a medical sciences foundation, research centres, and residential facilities. Together, this integrated ecosystem will position Nigeria as a leading hub for specialist healthcare, medical training, and clinical research on the continent.

Professor Clive Kay, chief executive officer of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said, “We are proud to partner with Afreximbank on this important initiative. The African Medical Centre of Excellence represents a positive step forward, and by bringing together world-class clinical standards, training, and research, we aim to share our expertise and support the development of a sustainable model of care that responds directly to the needs of African patients”.

The AMCE currently boasts 170 beds, with plans to expand this to 500 beds upon completion. It features the largest stem cell laboratory in the region, 15 post-stem cell isolation rooms in West Africa, alongside five theatres and three catheterisation laboratories. 

It also features a 20-bed intensive care unit, six critical care unit beds and 20 chemotherapy chairs with a compounding pharmacy among others. Some of the specialised equipment in Nigeria and the region are exclusively hosted by AMCE Abuja. 

They include an 18MeV cyclotron, 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 256 slices computed tomography, brachytherapy machine with iridium source, four biosafety cabinets and 128 slices computed tomography machines, among other amenities.

Now open, AMCE Abuja welcomes patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, and partners to join its mission of delivering world-class healthcare, fostering innovation, and building a healthier, more self-reliant Africa.

As a revolving facility, we expect it to finance about US$10 billion to US$14 billion of Intra-African petroleum imports.

This programme seeks to leverage the growing refining capacity that Afreximbank has helped establish across the continent, while aligning with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which includes facilitating intra-African trade, promoting industrialisation, and creating jobs on the continent.

By deploying innovative trade finance and supply chain solutions tailored to key stakeholders’ needs in terms of tenure, price format and logistics requirements, this initiative supports Afreximbank’s strategic goals of advancing energy security, strengthening regional value chains, and fostering economic resilience within the continent and the Caribbean.

Afreximbank is the largest financier of the Dangote refinery which commenced operations in January 2024 and is also supporting the financing of the 200,000 bpd Lobito Refinery development, building on the progress made on the 60,000 bpd Cabinda Refinery, which it also supported.

In addition, the Bank has financed the refurbishment of the 210,000 bpd Port Harcourt Refinery, and recently approved financing in support of the development of Bua Refinery and Azikel Refinery, all in Nigeria.

Through these investments, and the continual trade finance support for Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR), Cote d’Ivoire, Afreximbank is on its way to creating over 1.3 million bpd refining capacity and helping to convert the Gulf of Guinea from an exporter of crude oil into an important refining hub for the continent and the world.

Key products to be traded under the programme are refined petroleum products including but not limited to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), Jet Fuel, and Kerosene. The eligible exporters are refineries operating in Africa.

The US$3 billion Revolving Intra-African Oil Import Financing Programme is intended to mainly provide critical trade finance to oil traders (both African and international), banks, and Governments – represented by their Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Petroleum Resources/Energy – and state-owned enterprises mandated to import refined petroleum products, who seek to source refined products from African Refineries for onward consumption within the continent and export opportunities as may be applicable.

Afreximbank, affiliated trading entity ATDC Minerals (ATMIN) will also participate actively in the trading and financing activities of the leading African oil trading companies with long term relationship with Afreximbank who are also expected to support this effort.

An approved applicant will be able to request utilization under the Global Limit within allocated sub-limits upon KYC clearance and satisfactory completion of conditions precedent as follows:

• Issuance/Confirmation of Letters of Credit or any acceptable trade instrument with refineries in Africa as beneficiaries
• Discounting of Letters of Credit or any acceptable trade instrument to the benefit of refineries in Africa
• Prepayment and direct advances to eligible refineries in Africa

Commenting on the launch, Professor Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank, said that the programme “would galvanise efforts towards making the Gulf of Guinea a key refining hub. Whilst the programme will have a direct impact on the volume of the refined petroleum products produced and consumed in Africa, it will also have a multiplier effect on the downstream petroleum value chain as it will catalyse critical investments in shipping and marine logistics for intra and extra African trade of crude oil and refined products. The multiplier effect will also be seen in marine cargo insurance and other ancillary businesses within the sector. We want to see an increased proportion of the about 4 mbpd of crude oil produced in the Gulf of Guinea refined in Africa.”

Also commenting on the initiative, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, president of the Republic of Malawi, said:

“This programme is a clear demonstration of Africa’s resolve to take charge of its own energy future. We commend Afreximbank for this timely intervention, which stands to benefit African countries like Malawi by reducing import dependency, strengthening regional supply chains, and keeping more value within the continent. Most importantly, it will deliver real impact to our citizens by ensuring more stable and affordable access to refined petroleum products, which are essential to Malawians’ daily life and economic productivity.”

The meeting centered on the Bank’s initiatives and financing support to the country and specifically focused on the progress and potential impact on the 500 bed African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) Abuja, as well as its broader implications for healthcare across Africa.

All parties affirmed the importance of the AMCE Abuja project as a flagship development with potentially transformative implications for African healthcare, both significantly reducing the need for outbound, extra-African medical tourism by providing world-class medical services on the continent and, by extension, stemming the tide of healthcare talent migration from Africa.

The Abuja facility will focus on three core non-communicable diseases (Oncology, Haematology and Cardiology) and general care capabilities, and partly reflects co-operation with global partners including KCH, the University of Wisconsin Teaching Hospital, USA, and the Christies Hospital, Manchester, are serving to demonstrate the direction in which African healthcare provision should go in order to better serve the continent.

The AMCE Abuja, which is nearing completion, is the first of five such centres planned across Africa.

The facility will constitute a leading centre for research and development in medicine and clinical services, as well as offering residency, training and observership placement programmes to physicians and medical students from Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

To complement the AMCE Abuja and develop human resources in healthcare, Afreximbank has entered an arrangement with KCL to establish a Medical & Nursing School in Abuja to support the production of quality medical personnel in Africa.

The platform will also be used to collaborate with other colleges of medicine in Nigeria and across Africa.

President Oramah’s wide-ranging discussion with His Excellency President Tinubu also touched upon the landmark memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Afreximbank and the Federal Ministry of Health to support the development of Nigeria’s healthcare sector under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking Healthcare Value Chains (PVAC) through a US$1 billion Healthcare Value Chain Programme.

President Tinubu, commented;

“We welcome this significant step towards investing in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. This facility is a great commitment to humanity. We are open and ready to assist this project in every way possible. Africa is in need, and Nigeria is committed to the need of its people. Putting people’s welfare first is putting healthcare first. The training and development of our people are our priorities, and we thank Afreximbank and their partners for their ongoing support”

Oramah, commented;

“I am grateful to President Tinubu for his time, and for an animated and fascinating discussion on among our continent’s central challenges: the provision and delivery of quality, effective healthcare. For too long, our continent has watched as its best and brightest medical minds have migrated to Europe and America – but we are now poised to develop a domestic healthcare sector which can retain talent, eventually rivalling and even surpassing systems in other regions.”