ABUJA, NIGERIA — A resurfaced photograph featuring former President and Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, alongside late military ruler General Sani Abacha, his wife , and security chief, Hamza Mustapha has drawn renewed attention to the origins of the National Hospital Abuja.
The photograph captures the leaders at the construction site of what was then known as the National Hospital for Women and Children in 1998.
Historical records indicate that the hospital project was completed in a remarkably short period of ten months, reflecting the urgency and priority placed on expanding healthcare infrastructure at the time.
Following the death of Abacha in 1998, his successor, , commissioned the hospital on May 22, 1999, shortly before Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.
The facility was later renamed National Hospital Abuja on May 10, 2000, marking its transition into a broader, multi-specialist medical center serving the nation’s capital and beyond.
Today, the National Hospital Abuja stands as one of Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare institutions, with its rapid construction timeline still cited as a notable achievement in the country’s public infrastructure history.
