Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has donated ₦80m to St Agnes Medical Centre, Maryland, Lagos, to support its equipping and full operationalisation.
The donation was announced by the state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu in a Monday statement, after representing Hamzat at the 2026 Thanksgiving and Bazaar of St Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, where he also served as chairman of the occasion.
The event, themed “Harvest of Grace and Gratitude,” provided an opportunity to raise funds for the development of the medical centre and the purchase of equipment needed to improve healthcare delivery.
Describing the annual thanksgiving and bazaar as “more than a religious gathering,” Hamzat said it represented “a celebration of faith, gratitude, fellowship and community”, while providing an opportunity to mobilise resources for projects that positively affect people’s lives.
He said this year’s edition was particularly significant because the parish had dedicated its fundraising efforts to supporting the development of a new medical centre and providing the equipment required to strengthen healthcare delivery.
“The ₦80 million donation will support the provision of medical equipment, including an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as the facility prepares to expand its services to the wider community,” the statement said.
The announcement reportedly drew excitement among parishioners, who welcomed the contribution towards making the medical centre fully operational.
The medical centre grew out of a modest parish clinic established in 1996. Its development reflects the Catholic community’s efforts to expand access to healthcare within Maryland and surrounding areas.
Although the facility has been constructed, completed and blessed, with skeletal services already in operation, it requires additional medical equipment and staffing to become fully operational.
Its facilities include an eye care unit, diagnostic and monitoring unit, maternal and child health centre, wards, consulting rooms, rehabilitation unit and emergency response unit.
According to the statement, the planned multi-bed ICU is expected to provide critical care services to residents of Maryland, Anthony, Ikeja, Ojota and neighbouring communities. It is also expected to reduce the need to transfer critically ill patients to distant hospitals, helping to address delays that can be costly in emergency situations.
Speaking at the event, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr Theodore Martinos, said the fundraising initiative was aimed at providing the medical equipment needed to enhance the facility.
He said, “We need to use the gifts God has blessed us with, which are the fruits of our labour, to supply medical equipment needed to enhance our medical facility, the St Agnes Medical Centre.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Harvest Committee, Odion Aleobua, said the donation would help the church put the facility into operation.
“The donation represents the best demonstration of KOH’s drive to actualize the campaign very early in the day. With these funds the Church is confident of operationalizing this exemplary medical centre project as soon as possible,” he said.
Although established by the Catholic community, the medical centre is expected to serve people across religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.
Its location and planned services give it the potential to benefit not only members of the parish but also residents of Maryland and surrounding communities who require accessible healthcare.
The donation comes against the backdrop of Hamzat’s recently unveiled vision for Lagos ahead of the 2027 governorship election, in which he outlined plans to improve healthcare delivery across the state.
The commissioner said among the proposals is an expansion of the Ilera Eko health insurance scheme from its current 1.4 million enrollees to a target of covering one in every three Lagos residents.
His healthcare agenda also includes completing the Massey Children’s Hospital, Ojo General Hospital and Somolu General Hospital projects, while expanding capacity across nine general hospitals.
It was sated that other priorities include strengthening primary healthcare centres, increasing the number of facilities providing round-the-clock services and improving the training and welfare of healthcare workers.
