Barely two months after its high-profile commissioning, the Kaduna Millennium City Specialist Hospital a 300-bed facility inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2025 has been described by residents as deserted and non-functional.
The facility, once hailed as a major milestone for the state’s healthcare sector, was expected to improve access to quality medical care in Kaduna and beyond. However, residents say the hospital has remained locked and inactive since the day of its commissioning.
On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Umar Baba-Ali, a former state delegate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and resident of Millennium City, expressed frustration over what he called a “ceremonial deceit.” According to him, despite being commissioned amid much fanfare, the hospital shows no sign of life.
“I came to this hospital today, August 23, and as you can see, the place is empty. We pass by here almost every day, and it is always the same no one is around,” he said.
Baba-Ali further alleged that the inauguration event was largely staged for optics. He claimed that vehicles, equipment, and temporary setups were brought in during President Tinubu’s visit, but all of them were removed immediately after the ceremony.
“They told us they had commissioned the hospital. But look at it now the hospital is deserted. The vehicles they brought when President Tinubu came for the commissioning have all vanished and been taken away. Everything they brought during Tinubu’s visit is no longer there,” he added.
He stressed that his remarks were not politically motivated, insisting that citizens deserved honesty and justice rather than being misled by government spectacles.
The project itself has a long history. Initiated during the tenure of former Vice President Namadi Sambo, it was later completed under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Current Governor Uba Sani officially commissioned the hospital in June during President Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna.
However, residents have criticized the government’s decision to name the hospital after President Tinubu instead of Namadi Sambo, who originally began the project. To them, it is yet another example of political opportunism overshadowing genuine service delivery.
“It was Namadi Sambo who built the hospital, and El-Rufai came to complete it. Later, Uba Sani commissioned it during Tinubu’s visit. But today, the hospital remains deserted. Instead of naming the hospital after Namadi, who actually built it, they chose to name it after Bola Ahmed Tinubu. May God see us through,” Baba-Ali lamented.
The situation has sparked widespread public concern, with residents questioning why such a multi-billion-naira project remains idle at a time when Kaduna communities struggle with overstretched and underfunded health facilities.
Observers argue that leaving a 300-bed hospital unused represents not only a waste of public resources but also a lost opportunity to improve healthcare delivery in the state.
As of press time, neither the Kaduna State Government nor the Federal Ministry of Health has issued a public statement explaining why the facility remains non-operational.
Post a Comment