𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗔'𝗦 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗡𝗗𝗗𝗖 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

21𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵, 2026.

A socio-political pressure group, the Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), has commended the Wives of Correctional Services Officers Association (NICOWA) for initiating a $145 million medical village project in the Niger Delta, describing it as a strategic intervention capable of transforming healthcare delivery across the region.

The project, being developed in partnership with Bokolo-HSIC Group Limited, is to be located in Port Harcourt, a move the group says underscores a deliberate effort to address longstanding medical infrastructure deficits in the oil-rich region.

In a statement issued by its Director of Research and Development, Dr. Chucks Alozie, the NDRA noted that the initiative comes at a critical time when the region continues to grapple with inadequate access to specialised healthcare services.

The association highlighted that the proposed medical village—featuring a 120-bed hospital and advanced diagnostic centre—will significantly enhance capacity in managing complex health conditions, particularly cancer and other non-communicable diseases.

According to the group, the facility is expected to deliver both immediate and long-term socio-economic benefits, including job creation for local youths during construction and employment opportunities for healthcare professionals upon completion.

NDRA further stressed that the project directly addresses gaps exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed the fragile state of healthcare infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

The group did not shy away from criticising the Niger Delta Development Commission, accusing the regional interventionist agency of failing to prioritise critical healthcare investments across its mandate areas.

It argued that the absence of modern, specialised medical facilities has denied residents access to cutting-edge treatments such as molecular profiling, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and precision medicine—services that are increasingly essential in contemporary healthcare.

Describing NICOWA’s initiative as “visionary and timely,” the NDRA said the medical village would reduce the growing reliance on foreign medical trips, thereby easing pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange and improving health outcomes locally.

“The establishment of this facility will not only improve survival rates for oncological diseases but also reduce complications and mortality while strengthening the region’s overall healthcare ecosystem,” the statement added.

The group ultimately called for sustained support from both public and private stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of the project, which it believes holds the potential to reposition the Niger Delta as a hub for specialised medical care in Nigeria.