Governor Abdullahi Sule’s pronouncement during the 2026 budget presentation to the State House of Assembly last Wednesday that the General Hospital in Akwanga will be upgraded to a Specialist Hospital is a significant and commendable step. It signals a clear commitment to ensuring that each zone in Nasarawa State has access to tertiary healthcare. However, this welcome development exposes an urgent gap that must be addressed: Lafia, the state capital, still lacks a fully equipped General Hospital.

For years, the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia served as the major hub for advanced medical care in the state capital. But with its upgrade to a University Teaching Hospital, Lafia no longer has a designated general hospital an essential healthcare facility for any state capital. A general hospital is the first point of medical contact for most citizens, providing emergency care, maternal and child health services, treatment of common illnesses, and routine medical attention. Without one, the healthcare needs of Lafia’s rapidly growing population remain insufficiently served.

Fortunately, Lafia already has a practical and cost-effective solution: the former State Secretariat complex located after Bukan Sidi, along Jos Road. Since government operations were relocated to the new secretariat on Shendam Road, the old complex has been underutilized. Today, it stands as a vast, structurally sound facility in a strategic part of the city, an ideal for a general hospital.

Repurposing the state secretariat along Jos road offers multiple advantages. One:
the place is well positioned easily accessible to residents of Lafia and surrounding communities. Two:The complex contains office blocks, large halls, water supply systems, and ample space that can be redesigned into wards, laboratories, emergency units, and administrative offices. Third: Rather than starting a new hospital from scratch, the state would only need to renovate and adapt the structure, saving significant resources. Forth: The conversion would be quicker than new construction through timely access to essential healthcare for Lafia residents.

As the state capital and a major commercial hub, Lafia attracts a large daily inflow of people. Without a public general hospital, the city risks overburdening both the teaching hospital and the private clinics, many of which are financially inaccessible to lower-income residents. Emergencies such as road accidents, disease outbreaks, or maternal complications require a public hospital equipped to respond swiftly and effectively.

Healthcare equity demands that while Akwanga advances with its new Specialist Hospital status, Lafia must also receive a facility that meets its foundational healthcare needs. A thriving capital should balance tertiary care with robust, community-based general services.

Transforming the former State Secretariat into a General Hospital would not only meet this need but also stand as a legacy project for the current administration.

Governor Sule since his assumption of office, has demonstrated a strong vision for equitable healthcare distribution. By ensuring that Lafia has a functional general hospital would be a natural and necessary extension of that vision.

The people of Lafia deserve accessible, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare. The infrastructure already exists. What is needed now is the decisive action to transform it for the public good.

Now is the time to make Lafia’s General Hospital a reality.