FG Pushes Hospitals To Audit Equipment As Nigeria Ramps Up Biomedical Skills
In Nigeria’s overstretched health system, life-saving equipment can be just as dangerous when poorly maintained as when it is absent.
The Federal Government has urged hospitals nationwide to conduct regular audits and maintenance of medical equipment, warning that neglected devices undermine care quality and patient safety.
The call was made in Abuja during the opening of a five-day capacity-building workshop for biomedical engineers at the National Hospital, organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Representing the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, his aide Dr Babatunde Akinyemi said even the most advanced machines are ineffective without skilled professionals to maintain them.
He disclosed that the ministry has launched a National Biomedical Equipment Audit and is developing a maintenance framework to institutionalise preventive care in federal hospitals and medical centres.
The government is also upgrading training facilities at teaching hospitals in Benin, Lagos, Zaria, Enugu and Maiduguri to strengthen biomedical engineering education, as part of wider efforts to modernise health infrastructure.
Stakeholders at the event noted that many hospitals still leave valuable equipment idle due to poor maintenance culture, a gap the training aims to close through hands-on skills and safety protocols.
Participants drawn from federal, state and private hospitals are expected to return as “change agents”, reducing equipment downtime, improving safety around critical devices such as oxygen systems, and promoting cost-effective maintenance practices.
As Nigeria invests heavily in health infrastructure, officials say building the technical capacity to keep equipment functional is now central to improving patient outcomes and restoring confidence in the healthcare system.
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