Kogi State spends N7 billion to upgrade health centres, but many remain incomplete and understaffed

From afar, the OAU Primary Health Centre in Ojoku, Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State looked newly built when PREMIUM TIMES visited on 6 May 2026.

The blue-and-white paint was fresh, the roof was intact, and doors and windows were installed.

But a closer look showed that the work was not finished. The clinic was locked, and no health workers or patients were around. No healthcare services were being offered.

PREMIUM TIMES first visited this facility in December 2025 and found it not providing any services.

Aminu Nuhu, who heads the Department of Health Services in Ankpa Local Government Council, said OAU PHC Ojoku was one of six facilities chosen for revitalisation in the area.

He mentioned that the council was still looking for health workers to send to some of the newly revitalised facilities.

"For those that have been revitalised, we are looking for staff to put in those facilities," he added.

But the lack of staff was not the only issue.

Mr Nuhu explained that they had drilled a borehole at the facility, but it could not supply water because there was no electricity or solar power to run the pump.

"They have completed it, but we are expecting them to put it into operation," he said.

Nearly five months after the first visit, PREMIUM TIMES returned to find that clinical services had still not started.

A security guard at the facility said there was no medical equipment inside.

"There is nothing inside," he said. "It’s just the building."

The situation at OAU PHC Ojoku was one of the problems found during a lengthy PREMIUM TIMES investigation into Kogi State’s multibillion-naira primary healthcare revitalisation programme.

The investigation looked into whether the government’s investment led to functional health facilities that could provide essential services to residents.

It found unfinished rehabilitation work, not enough staff, lack of basic infrastructure, and health workers operating from temporary locations, even though the government announced that many facilities had been revitalised and commissioned.

The N7 billion promise

In January 2025, the Kogi State government announced it would spend over N7 billion, with support from the World Bank, to upgrade 88 PHCs across the state’s 21 LGAs.

This announcement was made during the official handover of project sites to contractors at the Model PHC in Felele, Lokoja.

Governor Ahmed Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Abdulazeez Adams, said the project would upgrade more than 150 PHCs into functional Level 2 facilities.

Contractors were told to finish the projects within four months.

On 7 November 2025, the state government announced the commissioning of 80 revitalised PHCs.

Muazu Musa, executive director of the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the facilities went from Level 1 to Level 2.

Functional Level 2 PHCs are expected to provide 24-hour health services, including basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care.

The programme also requires skilled birth attendants, reliable electricity or backup solar power, functional toilets with water, and access to clean water.

These requirements are meant to ensure that upgraded facilities can offer essential healthcare services beyond just fixing their structures.

Despite this, the Kogi State Government did not give PREMIUM TIMES the full list of the 80 facilities it said were commissioned.

This made it hard for the newspaper to verify if the facilities checked during the investigation were among those officially commissioned.

Following the money: N6.09 billion in four contracts

A review of Kogi State procurement records showed four contracts covering 88 PHCs.

These contracts had a total value of N6.1 billion and were awarded to Multi Purpose Errand Mens Services Ltd, QSA Nigeria Ltd, Inknuel Ltd, and Base-SAN Ventures Nigeria Ltd.

The records indicated that N5.5 billion, which is about 90.6 percent of the total contract value, had been recorded as paid to the four contractors.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify these payments against bank statements or government treasury records. Thus, the figures are described as amounts recorded ‘as paid’ in the procurement disclosure.

The procurement records also showed a gap in the geographical coverage of the contracts.

While the state government claimed the intervention covered all 21 LGAs, the descriptions of the four contract lots only identified 20 distinct LGAs.

Kogi LGA, with its headquarters in Koton-Karfe, was missing from all four lots.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the LGA was left out of the intervention. Still, without the complete list of the 88 facilities, PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm if this omission was in the procurement summary or if it reflected actual project distribution.

The total contract value of N6.1 billion was also less than the government’s promised amount of over N7 billion.

The records available did not explain what other activities or expenses made up the difference.

The state’s 2025 fourth-quarter Budget Implementation Report recorded a final budget of N8.205 billion for the broader Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) programme.

The report showed spending of about N7.818 billion up to that point.

However, the IMPACT programme includes activities beyond the four infrastructure contracts. So, its spending cannot be treated as the amount spent specifically on the 88 PHC rehabilitation projects.

The records available to PREMIUM TIMES did not match these figures.

Questions over Lot D contractor

One of the contracts, known as Lot D, was given to Base-SAN Ventures Nigeria Ltd for work covering 23 PHCs across Ankpa, Olamaboro, Omala, Ofu, Dekina, Ibaji, and Bassa LGAs.

The procurement records showed about N1.069 billion had been paid under this contract.

During a follow-up visit to PHC Ankpa, PREMIUM TIMES saw a project signboard naming “BASESAN VENTURE NIG LTD” as the contractor responsible for upgrading the facility.

The difference in names raised questions about the contractor’s exact legal identity.

Publicly available corporate information reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES also listed BASESAN Ventures Limited, with registration number RC 822294, and mentioned a person named “Sanni Eggidi A” as having significant control.

The newspaper could not confirm if BASESAN Ventures Limited, Base-SAN Ventures Nigeria Ltd, and the company on the project signboard were the same or linked companies.

PREMIUM TIMES later contacted Sanni Abdulraheem, the member representing Ajaokuta Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, to ask if he had any ties to BASESAN Ventures Limited.

The similarity in names does not prove they are the same person.

The newspaper also asked for details on the relationship between the companies and requested records related to the 23 PHCs covered by Lot D, including their approved work scopes, completion status, and inspection documents.

As of publication, the lawmaker had not replied.

Missing records, unanswered questions

Beyond the issues with contract values and geographical coverage, the procurement records did not name all 88 PHCs individually.

They also did not specify the approved work scope, contract value, or payment status for each facility.

The state government did not give PREMIUM TIMES the complete list of the 80 PHCs announced as commissioned in November 2025.

Without these documents, it was tough to match the facilities covered by the contracts with those announced as completed and commissioned.

The lack of facility-level inspection reports and completion certificates also made it impossible to verify what was approved, delivered, and certified at each project site.

These gaps do not prove any mismanagement of funds or failure to complete contracts. They do, however, limit public scrutiny of the government’s claims about the intervention.

Between December 2025 and September 2026, PREMIUM TIMES inspected and revisited health facilities across Ankpa, Lokoja, and Ajaokuta LGAs.

The newspaper talked to health workers, residents, and government officials; looked at project signboards; and reviewed procurement and budget documents.

The findings relate to facilities that local officials or site-level evidence connected to the state intervention.

PHCC Ankpa: services running, problems persist

At the Primary Health Care Centre in Ankpa (PHCC Ankpa), clinical services were ongoing when PREMIUM TIMES first visited.

The facility provided antenatal care, routine immunisation, family planning, outpatient consultations, and delivery services.

Momo Oneshona, the officer-in-charge, said the centre could see up to 70 patients on Mondays for immunisation, antenatal care, and general consultations.

But the facility faced serious operational challenges.

Health workers reported a lack of running water, grid electricity, or solar power for daily operations.

The available solar installation only served the vaccine refrigerators.

"We don’t have solar, we don’t have water here, we don’t have light," Mrs Oneshona said.

She explained that workers sterilised reusable instruments by boiling them over gas or ordinary stoves.

During the first inspection, the laboratory was locked and looked dusty.

The facility also dealt with staff shortages.

"We have a shortage of staff," Mrs Oneshona said. "They retire; no replacement."

She estimated that about seven workers were actively providing services, including three Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and two Junior CHEWs.

Mrs Oneshona noted that the shortage of personnel and the absence of a security guard meant the facility could not operate overnight.

This did not meet the 24-hour service expectations for functional Level 2 PHCs.

Contractors left unfinished work

Besides the operational challenges, PREMIUM TIMES noted an unfinished building undergoing rehabilitation within the facility’s compound.

Doors and window frames had been removed and stacked inside, while openings in the walls and roof remained exposed.

"They scattered our place and went away," Mrs Oneshona said. "We only saw them working, then they left."

Mr Nuhu, the Ankpa LGA health official, confirmed that PHCC Ankpa was one of six facilities selected for revitalisation.

He said construction workers left the project between December 2025 and January 2026 and had not returned by the time of the newspaper’s initial inspection.

Of the six facilities, he identified PHC Emekutu as the only one he considered fully completed at the time of his interview.

Mr Nuhu also highlighted broader staffing issues across Ankpa LGA.

He estimated that the council had 68 functioning PHCs but only about 50 to 55 percent of the staff needed to operate them effectively.

He mentioned that 12 facilities depended entirely on volunteers, while six or seven retired health workers had been kept on to provide services.

Laboratory affected by rainwater

When PREMIUM TIMES returned to PHCC Ankpa on 28 September 2026, the laboratory was open.

Rain had fallen shortly before the visit.

Water was visible on parts of the laboratory floor, while damp and discolored patches appeared on the walls.

A project signboard at the facility identified the work as the "Upgrading of Primary Health Care Centre Ankpa, Ankpa LGA."

It named Kogi State IMPACT Project 2024 as the client and listed "BASESAN VENTURE NIG LTD" as the contractor.

The procurement disclosure separately recognized Base-SAN Ventures Nigeria Ltd as the contractor for Lot D, covering 23 PHCs across seven LGAs.

Although the signboard connected PHCC Ankpa to the IMPACT project, PREMIUM TIMES could not obtain the facility’s approved work scope, valuation, payment records, or completion certificate.

Lokongoma PHC: Renovation followed by more construction

At PHC Lokongoma, in Lokoja, local health officials linked the facility to the state’s revitalisation programme.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited on 13 May 2026, the centre had a new perimeter fence, a paved compound, fresh paint, and red roofing.

But the gate was locked when the reporter arrived around 5:45 p.m.

A nearby shop owner said health workers usually left between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

According to the resident, the clinic offered antenatal care, deliveries, routine immunisation, and treatment for minor illnesses when it was open.

PREMIUM TIMES did not get the facility’s duty roster to confirm its operating hours.

The resident also mentioned that the clinic had been renovated less than a year earlier.

Later images showed that construction continued after the May inspection.

Images dated 9 July 2026 displayed work on parts of the red roof, additional structures, and paving.

By 20 July, further images highlighted blue roofing, more structures, and additional paving.

These images confirm that more work happened after the May visit.

However, PREMIUM TIMES could not find out if services were still running during construction or if the extra work was part of the same project.

The available records also did not clarify what the various rounds of construction covered, who financed them, or if the work had been checked and certified.

Ganaja PHC: Eight years in school classrooms

At Ganaja, in Ajaokuta LGA, health workers were still providing services from two borrowed classrooms inside UBE Standard College during PREMIUM TIMES’ visit.

Local health officials connected the facility to the state’s revitalisation programme.

Health workers said flooding forced them to leave their original building nearly eight years ago.

Since then, they had been using the temporary space.

"We were on the other side before, but flood covered that place," the Officer-in-Charge, named Ms Aminu, said. "We are just managing this place as a temporary site."

Across the road from the school, the old PHC showed signs of long-term abandonment.

Vegetation had overtaken parts of the compound, and refuse had built up around the deteriorating building.

Inside the school, one classroom served as an office and consultation room.

Medical supplies, vaccine carriers, desks, chairs, and patient records filled the limited space.

This setup limited the services health workers could provide.

Ms Aminu said the classrooms could not accommodate patient admissions or maternity services.

She estimated that about 10 workers were attached to the facility but mentioned there was no midwife.

This meant pregnant women needing delivery services were sent elsewhere.

Ms Aminu said a replacement PHC was being built elsewhere in Ganaja.

She estimated that the project was about 70 percent complete.

However, PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm this estimate because the reporter could not locate the construction site for inspection.

Ms Aminu could not provide clear directions, and no one was available to guide the reporter.

She also could not say when the health workers would move into the new facility.

When PREMIUM TIMES returned in September 2026, the clinic was still operating from the school classrooms.

Nearly eight years after flooding displaced the original facility, health workers and patients were still waiting for a permanent building.

This situation also raised concerns about whether the new project had properly considered the flooding that caused the previous relocation.

PREMIUM TIMES did not find out what caused the original flooding or link it specifically to climate change.

The documents reviewed did not include a flood-risk or environmental assessment showing what safeguards had been included in the new project.

Commissioned, but were the facilities ready?

The Kogi State government’s November 2025 announcement that 80 PHCs had been commissioned suggested significant progress in its healthcare revitalisation programme.

However, findings from the facilities inspected by PREMIUM TIMES showed gaps between infrastructure development and the delivery of actual healthcare services.

At OAU PHC Ojoku, a newly painted building remained without clinical services during follow-up visits.

At PHCC Ankpa, patients continued to receive care despite unfinished rehabilitation work, staffing shortages, and lack of water and electricity.

At Lokongoma, additional construction was noted months after an earlier renovation.

At Ganaja, health workers still operated from school classrooms while waiting for a permanent facility.

Local officials or site-level evidence linked these facilities to the state’s intervention.

But because the complete commissioning list was missing, PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm if any of the four facilities were among the 80 announced as commissioned.

The newspaper also could not obtain facility-level inspection reports or completion certificates to show what had been checked and approved before commissioning.

These gaps leave important questions about the criteria used to declare facilities ready, the work completed at each site, and whether the upgrades resulted in the services expected from Level 2 PHCs.

Government fails to provide project records

PREMIUM TIMES sought explanations and supporting documents from the Kogi State government before finishing the investigation.

On 15 May 2026, the newspaper sent written requests under Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act 2011 to the Kogi State Ministry of Health and the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

The requests asked for a list of PHCs; details of revitalisation and infrastructure projects; the names of beneficiary facilities and contractors; contract amounts; project status; Basic Health Care Provision Fund disbursements; staffing information; and facility operational records.

The newspaper followed up with phone calls and WhatsApp messages to the Commissioner for Health and Aisha Mohammed, who said she was the secretary and personal assistant to the executive director of the State’s primary healthcare agency.

When the requests did not yield meaningful responses, PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.

The newspaper informed him about the outstanding requests and asked him to respond on behalf of the government or help get answers from the relevant agencies.

Calls, WhatsApp messages, and a text message were sent to Mr Fanwo, including a reminder that the report was being finalised and that the government’s response could still be included.

By the time of publication, the state government had not provided the full schedule of the 88 facilities, the list of 80 commissioned PHCs, facility-level scopes of work, inspection reports, or completion certificates.