The Kaduna State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has inaugurated and handed over the Yusuf Dantsoho Medical Gas Pipeline (MGP) system to strengthen access to life-saving medical oxygen services in the state.
The facility was inaugurated on Monday at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Kaduna, by the Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, who described the project as a major commitment to saving lives, particularly those of mothers, newborns and other vulnerable patients.
Ahmed said the medical gas pipeline complemented earlier UNICEF-supported interventions at the hospital, including a Level Two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a medical oxygen plant, providing a comprehensive solution for maternal and neonatal survival.
According to her, oxygen remains an essential medicine for newborns, women with obstetric complications and critically ill patients, often determining survival outcomes. She explained that the pipeline system delivers oxygen directly to points of care, improving efficiency, safety and emergency response, especially within the neonatal unit.
The commissioner noted that the initiative aligned with the vision of Gov. Uba Sani’s administration, which had prioritised investments in health infrastructure, workforce development and strategic partnerships across all levels of healthcare delivery.
She acknowledged the persistent maternal and neonatal health challenges in Northern Nigeria but said sustained interventions such as improved referral systems and expanded neonatal care were gradually improving outcomes.
Ahmed assured UNICEF and other partners of the state’s commitment to sustaining the facility through proper management, maintenance and optimal utilisation. She disclosed that the 2026 budget had made provisions for two additional oxygen plants, procurement of accessories, routine maintenance and training for biomedical engineers, clinicians and nurses.
She commended the management of Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital for ongoing reforms and urged frontline health workers to continue delivering quality, compassionate and patient-centred care. She also praised Gov. Sani for prioritising healthcare and thanked UNICEF for its consistent support to the state’s health sector.
Earlier, the North-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Oxygen Desk, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mr Yusuf Moses, recalled the launch of the revised National Strategy for the Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen in Nigeria, 2023–2027, aimed at preventing deaths from hypoxemia.
Moses said oxygen was now recognised as an essential drug nationally, noting that global focus on oxygen delivery intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed safety and quality gaps in healthcare systems.
He stressed that while oxygen is life-saving, it could be hazardous if poorly managed, advocating best practices such as removing oxygen cylinders from hospital wards. He described the pipeline system as a critical step towards safer oxygen delivery and urged Kaduna State to invest in continuous capacity building.
“My plea to the Kaduna State Government is to ensure that all resources are handled with utmost care and that health workers involved in oxygen production and administration are adequately trained,” he said.
Also speaking, UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr Hadiza Iyal, described the inauguration as a major milestone in UNICEF’s partnership with Kaduna State and the Federal Ministry of Health.
She said the medical gas pipeline system represented an investment in lives, safer clinical care and health system resilience, adding that lessons from COVID-19 underscored the importance of reliable oxygen supply.
Iyal reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that no child, mother or patient is denied quality healthcare due to lack of essential medical oxygen.