Patrick Yakowa Memorial Hospital To Become Federal Medical Centre As FG Signs MoU with Kaduna State
The Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, Kafanchan will soon become a Federal Medical Centre as the transitioning process to formally execute its take-over has commenced with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Kaduna State Government on Thursday 15th October, 2026 at Kaduna State Liaison office, Abuja . The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, signed on behalf of the Federal Government while Governor Uba Sani signed on behalf of the government of Kaduna State.
The Minister said the signing of the MoU was not merely a legal or administrative transition, he noted that it was a vital fulfillment in a spectrum of activities that directly translates to outputs of the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and a demonstration of responsive, people-centric governance by the Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani.
“One important attribute that the government of Kaduna State under Senator Uba Sanni has demonstrated in common with the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is inclusivity. When President Tinubu approved and the Kaduna State Government responded to the initiative and commenced the process to hand over the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, Kafanchan to the Federal Government for its conversion into a full-fledged Federal Medical Centre (FMC), it further reinforces the inclusivity agenda of the APC led governments in Abuja and Kaduna as it answered the long-standing prayers of the good people of Jema’a Local Government Area and the entire Southern Kaduna for economic and infrastructural inclusion”, Salako noted
He commended the Governor of Kaduna State not only for this partnership to bring tertiary healthcare services closer to the people of Southern Kaduna, but also for the many other health sector achievements of the government to further drive the universal health coverage agenda of Nigeria.
“Your Excellency, we see what you are doing in the health sector and the impacts your administration is making through the upgrade of 255 PHCs to level 2 status, the establishment of 23 PHCs centers of excellence as primary referral hubs and data coordination centres, the completion and commissioning of a 300 bed specialist hospital in Kaduna, the rejuvenation of your 19 general hospitals and the expansion of insurance coverage in Kaduna Stats just to mention a few . We acknowledge your innovative approach of establishing neonatal corners in rural and underserved communities to frontally tackle neonatal mortality, an innitiative worth studying for possible national deployement. Clearly, your administration in Kaduna State is a subnational exemplification of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Closeness to the President.
“As a Ministry, we have always maintained that tertiary healthcare must not remain an exclusive privilege of capital cities or metropolitan centers rather, we are conscious of factors such as population density, increasing need for healthcare services, and spatial distribution of FTHs. Guided by the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), our goal is a systemic reset that places functional, accessible, and high-quality health care facilities within the reach of every Nigerian, no matter where they live. This is why in the last 42 months, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the federal government has established additional 16 new federal tertiary health institutions across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country so that Nigerians who needs specialist healthcare services can have better access.”
With this historic action of the signing of the MOU to take over the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital and converting same to Federal Medical Centre, Dr. Salako said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will be working with the Kaduna State Government to upgrade and expand physical infrastructure and diagnostic capacity; deploy specialized medical personnel and advanced equipment; ensure a smooth transition and absorption path for interested existing healthcare workers; and transform Kafanchan into a regional hub for medical training, research, and specialized clinical services. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, he pledged the Federal Government’s readiness to move with deliberate speed to actualize the operational milestones of this transition as enshrined in the MoU.
“Let me at this point pay tribute to the memory of the elder statesman, accomplished public servant and former Governor of Kaduna State whose name this facility proudly bears—the late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. He lived and served with a spirit of bridge-building, unity, and deep dedication to the welfare of the people of Kaduna State. There can be no more fitting tribute to this legacy than turning this hospital into a beacon of healing and hope for generations to come”, the Minister said
Governor Uba Sani commended the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the laudable feats in the health sector adding that Kaduna State government will provide the conducive atmosphere for the hospital to thrive.
