NNPC Foundation Donates MRI Machine to Nnewi Teaching Hospital

The NNPC Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of NNPC Limited, has commissioned and handed over a fully installed 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Anambra State.

The intervention is aimed at improving healthcare access and strengthening medical infrastructure across Nigeria, particularly in the South-East region comprising Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states, as well as neighbouring Delta State.

According to the Foundation, the project included the delivery, installation, calibration, testing and commissioning of the MRI machine, alongside supporting infrastructure such as RF shielding systems, chillers, backup UPS systems, electrical installations, ventilation systems, CCTV, oxygen monitoring systems, intercom facilities and other patient-support technologies.

Before the installation, patients seeking advanced MRI diagnostic services reportedly faced long waiting periods, high costs and the challenge of travelling long distances to access functional imaging centres.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony at the Igwe Orizu ICT Centre, NAUTH Permanent Site in Nnewi on Friday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation Ltd./Gte, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, described the intervention as a strategic investment in healthcare access and improved patient outcomes.

He said the project reflected the company’s commitment to building sustainable institutions and systems that would enhance quality healthcare delivery.

“The installation of the MRI in NAUTH exemplifies our commitment as our intent is to build enduring institutions, sustainable systems and legacies. This intervention aligns with our conviction that access to quality healthcare underpins human dignity, longevity and economic productivity,” he said.

Ojulari added that the company’s social investments were helping to strengthen the relationship between its core energy mandate and stakeholder expectations.

Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, commended the NNPC Foundation for the donation, noting that the MRI facility would enhance safe and precise diagnosis and treatment for patients across the South-East.

Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Business Services, NNPC Ltd., Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe, represented by the Chief Supply Chain Officer, Engr. Isokariari Telema, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to impactful social investments targeted at improving the lives of Nigerians.

“In over forty years of its existence, NNPC has stayed the course in impacting lives positively across Nigeria — supporting infrastructural development, social amenities, educational sponsorships and other initiatives that underscore our values of integrity, excellence and sustainability,” she said.

The Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Prof. Joseph Ugboaja, praised the leadership of NNPC Ltd. for prioritising healthcare development, saying the MRI facility would significantly reduce the burden on patients who previously had to travel far distances for specialised diagnostic services.

“For too long, patients in our catchment area have had to travel long distance to access this level of diagnostic precision, often at prohibitive costs. With this installation, we will eliminate that burden,” Ugboaja stated.