Six months after a devastating fire razed its first building, Ago Medical Centre has unveiled a new, fully equipped storey facility, marking a major milestone in its 38-year history.
The new structure, commissioned over the weekend, is expected to boost healthcare delivery for residents who depend on the centre for affordable medical services.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, the Medical Director, Dr. Kola Afolabi, described the facility as a “complete package” aimed at providing comprehensive healthcare under one roof.
“We are going to reconstruct the old site into a full-fledged hospital,” he said. “For now, what we have here is a complete medical centre. We have diagnostics, a theatre for surgical operations, delivery room, laboratory, private and general wards, as well as a conference room. There are also two consulting rooms, scanning services, x-ray and ECG machines, alongside other diagnostic tools.”
Dr. Afolabi explained that the new facility was designed to create a more conducive and reassuring environment for patients compared to the one destroyed by the fire.
“Our patients should expect improved, better services. This centre is more comfortable and better equipped than the old one. They are excited because they know they will now get better care than before,” he said.
Beyond the hospital’s recovery, the medical director also raised concerns about the wider challenges in Nigeria’s health sector, particularly the growing brain drain of medical personnel.
“Even those of us still here are finding it very difficult to get personnel. Doctors and nurses are scarce commodities now because many are leaving the country,” he lamented.
He urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to retain health workers by improving working conditions, providing modern facilities, and offering competitive salaries.
“If nothing is done, I fear for the future. In another 10 or 15 years, who will be left to treat those of us remaining in this country?” he warned.
The chairman of the occasion, former Secretary of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO)and a prominent Nigerian elder statesman, Ayo Opadokun described Dr Afolabi as a “beloved younger comrade” and “a man with public consciousness, willing, ready, and able to be charitable in the discharge of his professional duties.”
He recalled that during the fire incident, which destroyed the former facility, he was informed while in Abuja and immediately went to console Dr. Afolabi on his return.
“I was totally devastated,” he said. “But because our God is omnipotent and merciful, He has turned Dr. Afolabi’s grief into joy. This new centre has been reconfigured into a befitting, serene medical facility where patients can find confidence and hope.”
Dr Afolabi noted that, “Doctors and nurses are leaving in droves. If the government does not prioritise healthcare with better facilities and improved welfare, in 10 to 15 years we may not have enough professionals left to care for Nigerians.”
He added that many individuals and organisations supported the rebuilding process, adding that the new hospital was evidence of community strength and divine providence.
Speaking on the broader challenges in Nigeria’s health sector, Opadokun decried the country’s worsening medical brain drain, attributing it to years of poor governance and neglect of critical sectors.
“The accumulation of deeply flawed, unprofessional economic policies has run Nigeria down,” he lamented. “Since the first military coup of 1966, Nigeria’s growth and development have been stunted. Medical care has suffered gravely. While leaders routinely seek medical treatment abroad, ordinary Nigerians cannot afford basic care.”
Opadokun urged the government to prioritise the health sector to stem the exodus of medical personnel, describing the new hospital as a symbol of what is possible when resilience, community support, and dedication to public service converge.
On February 28, 2025, a devastating fire gutted the hospital, destroying equipment, offices, and wards, and leaving staff, patients, and management in shock.
The incident, described as one of the dark inest days in the hospital’s history, threatened to end more than a decade of medical service to residents of the area.
But with support from staff, friends, patients, religious leaders, and community members, the hospital embarked on a rebuilding journey that culminated in the dedication of its new centre.
Dr Afolabi’s wife said: “This new facility is more than a building. It is a symbol of resilience, a testament to what can be achieved when people come together with purpose, compassion, and faith. Brick by brick, prayer by prayer, we rose again. Today, Aigon Medical Centre is back—not just restored, but renewed and reimagined.”
Speaking at the event, Dr. Afolabi’s wife recounted the emotional toll of the fire incident and the long journey to recovery.
She revealed how she was in class at the University of Lagos, where she lectures, when she received a distressing text message that the hospital was on fire.
“I could not comprehend what was going on,” she said. “How can someone work for 20 years and in one day, everything is gone? When I arrived and saw the flames, I just hugged my husband and told him, ‘We are going to be back.’ And today, that testimony is fulfilled.”
She praised the support of religious leaders, including pastors and an imam, who prayed with the family on the day of the fire, describing the hospital community as a “Chrislam family.”
She also commended staff who continued to work under difficult circumstances, sometimes moving patients around flooded wards after heavy rainfall, to keep the centre running.
According to her, the rebuilding was made possible through overwhelming support from friends, patients, and professional colleagues.
She cited examples of engineers and architects who volunteered their services without charging professional fees, as well as community members who contributed resources to ensure the hospital’s survival.
“God sent us angels,” she said. “One of our patients, an engineer, promised not to take any professional fees but to walk with us all the way. Others sacrificed their time and expertise. This is why we dedicate this place to God, because only He could have made this possible.”
Beyond the joy of reopening, Dr. Afolabi and his wife used the platform to call for reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare system. They highlighted the challenges of brain drain, poor insurance support, and lack of adequate government attention to medical infrastructure.
For many residents, the reopening of Ago Medical Centre is a welcome relief, offering access to quality healthcare at a time when medical tourism and mass emigration of doctors continue to undermine Nigeria’s fragile health system.