Rivers releases N78bn projects sum in wind-down of N483bn budget

• Includes N26bn cancer, cardiovascular facility

Rivers, Nigeria’s oil-rich state and unarguably one of the country’s big spending subnationals, has released N78 billion to complete a series of projects strewn across the state, as it begins to spend down its N483.17 billion 2022 budget.  Approval for the money came from the state’s executive council meeting presided by Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to Isaac Kamalu, the commissioner for finance, budget and economic planning, the money is to ensure that ongoing projects were not left uncompleted by the contractors, as the governor has only a few months to conclude his second and last tenure in office.

Part of the money is N26 billion for the state’s iconic cancer and cardiovascular hospital named after former governor, Peter Odili, which recently attracted attention of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, to which the latter pledged to support, aims to tackle different types of cancers in the country. Should the centre come on stream, it would greatly benefit Nigeria as a country.

Nigerians pay for cancer treatment with their lives. Currently, Nigeria has no comprehensive cancer centre, and lacks adequate treatment facilities. Chemotherapy, a required cancer treatment regime especially at advanced stages, costs between N600,000 and N1.5 million per session. This cost varies depending on the type of cancer. Breast and cervical cancer are some of the most expensive.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said an estimated 116,000 new cases of cancer, and 41,000 cancer-related deaths were recorded in Nigeria in 2018. If current trends were maintained, Africa’s cancer burden is projected to double to more than 2.12 million cases by 2040, up from the more than 1,05 million new cases in 2018.

The other projects are the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital where the Basic Clinical faculty, a renal and dialysis centre and House Officers quarters were being completed; Kelsey Harrison Hospital and Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital in Port Harcourt are at advanced stages of completion.

Meanwhile, the state is set to sell off its former insurance company’s head office building, remodelled at the cost of N2.8 billion. Deinma Iyalla, the commissioner for special projects, said the ministry has received the state executive council’s ratification for the sale of the Riv-Bank Insurance building, to which Access Bank has offered to buy at N3.8 billion. The Nigerian headquartered financial services conglomerate plans to use the building as its Port Harcourt regional office.

Other projects to benefit from the released fund include, sand-filling and reclamation of 20 hectares of land in Ogu town; completion of University of Port Harcourt Convocation arena; Ataba Secondary School reconstruction and furnishing; Rivers State University staff quarters buildings at Ahoada, Etche, Emohua and the main campus; 13.8 km Rumuodogo 1 and 2 roads; Woji-Aleto-Alesa-Refinery road, Hostels A and B, and auditorium at Yenagoa campus of the Nigerian Law School, Mary Odili Judicial Institute; new road projects such as: Alode-Onne, Agbonchia-Ogale-Ebebu-East/West, Alode internal roads in Eleme council; Eneka roundabout-Igbo-Etche link road; Akpabu-Egbeda-Elele-Omoku link road; Akpabu-Odidi link road; Nkpor -Mgbuodohia link road; Elele internal roads; Elekahia internal roads, among many others.