Anambra Spends ?123.2m on ‘Model Gates’ for Two Hospitals Amid Documented PHC Infrastructure Gaps
The Anambra State Government awarded a ?123.2 million contract for the construction of a “Solution Is Here Model Gate” at two general hospitals in Okpoko and Fegge, even as primary healthcare facilities across the state continue to face reported shortages of essential medicines, medical equipment, healthcare workers and basic infrastructure.
Procurement records obtained by Globalvoice show that the state Ministry of Health awarded the contract to Crystal Dove Construction Company Limited for ?123,217,218.82 under the state’s 2025 budget.
The project was listed as “Solution Is Here Model Gate For General Hospitals Okpoko & Fegge” and classified as a works contract.
The records show that the procurement process began with an advertisement published on February 7, 2025, while bids were opened online on February 23, 2025.
Three companies submitted bids for the project.
Crystal Dove Construction Company Limited submitted a bid of ?229,395,411, while Award Global Company Limited quoted ?253,014,504.75 and Royal Horse Construction Company Limited submitted a bid of ?240,581,323.50.
Despite Crystal Dove’s original bid being significantly higher than the eventual contract value, the company was awarded the project for ?123,217,218.82.
The procurement records identify the Ministry of Health as the procuring entity and describe the procurement method as “selective,” with the award criterion listed as the “Most responsive bidder.”
The approved budget amount was recorded as ?123,217,219, virtually identical to the final contract value.
The contract was formally awarded on May 26, 2025.
However, the publicly available procurement information reviewed by Globalvoice does not provide a detailed breakdown of what the ?123.2 million project entails beyond the description of a “Solution Is Here Model Gate” for the two hospitals.
The records also list the contract duration as zero days and do not provide contract commencement or completion dates.
Another unexplained issue in the procurement data is the substantial difference between Crystal Dove’s submitted bid of ?229.4 million and the final award value of ?123.2 million. The records reviewed do not provide an explanation for how the final contract amount was arrived at.
?123m Gate Project Raises Questions Amid PHC Shortages
The contract becomes particularly significant when viewed against the condition of primary healthcare infrastructure across Anambra State.
Previous investigations by Globalvoice and other independent assessments have documented shortages of essential medicines, medical equipment, personnel and basic infrastructure at several primary healthcare centres across the state.
An earlier investigation covering at least 27 PHCs and health posts across 16 of Anambra’s 21 local government areas found facilities struggling with basic medical supplies, including gloves, bandages, syringes, disinfectants, oxygen, stretchers and functioning blood pressure equipment.
At one facility visited during the investigation, a health worker reportedly said basic medical supplies were so scarce that staff sometimes had to purchase items with their own money.
The investigation also documented healthcare facilities operating in severely deteriorated buildings, including structures that had previously served as tailor shops, community halls, church premises, security posts and rented buildings.
Some facilities reportedly had damaged hospital beds, leaking roofs, inadequate toilet facilities and insufficient healthcare workers.
The findings raise a basic public finance question: when healthcare facilities providing frontline medical services are struggling to meet basic operational needs, how are capital projects such as decorative or entrance structures prioritised?
Independent Assessment Finds Widespread Infrastructure Gaps
An assessment of 66 primary healthcare centres in Anambra by MyPHC, published by Orodata Science, also identified significant infrastructure and equipment deficiencies.
According to the assessment, 24 of the 66 facilities surveyed remained in a state of disrepair, while half had at least one of eight identified building failures, including structural problems, roofing defects and electrical faults.
Only 24 facilities had clean and functional restrooms.
Just five had functional ambulances.
The assessment also found that half of the surveyed facilities lacked essential medical supplies.
Other reported deficiencies included inadequate oxygen supplies, stretchers and personal protective equipment, as well as staffing shortages that were particularly pronounced during weekends.
These findings provide an important backdrop to the state’s decision to commit more than ?123 million to a gate project at two general hospitals.
Inside Anambra’s Primary Healthcare Facilities
A November 2025 investigation into primary healthcare centres in the state further documented conditions that contrast sharply with the scale of the gate project.
At the Community Reproductive Referral Health Centre in Akwaeze, Anaocha Local Government Area, investigators found a facility with only one ward containing seven beds and reportedly no pharmacy, oxygen, stretcher, bandages, disinfectant or other basic medical supplies.
At Abakpu Health Clinic, the condition of the facility was reportedly so poor that an area intended to serve as a ward had been converted into a living room.
Damaged tables, chairs, doors and hospital beds were also observed.
The facility was reportedly without basic medical supplies, oxygen, weighing scales, personal protective equipment, stretchers and gloves.
At Adazi-Nnuku Community Reproductive Referral Health Centre, investigators observed damaged doors and windows, leaking roofs and damaged hospital beds.
The facility was also reported to lack several basic maternity and emergency supplies.
A midwife reportedly told investigators that the facility had not been renovated for approximately a decade despite serving several communities.
Similar challenges were reported at PHCs across Aguata, Anaocha, Onitsha North, Awka North, Awka South, Ekwusigo, Orumba North, Oyi and other local government areas.
Government’s Own Supervisory Exercise Identified Problems
The infrastructure concerns are not limited to external investigations.
In April 2026, the Anambra State Ministry of Health said it had conducted supervisory visits to more than 20 primary healthcare centres across different local government areas as part of its review of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
The ministry acknowledged that the exercise identified inadequate staffing and infrastructure problems, including leaking roofs, as well as weaknesses in data reporting.
The findings were subsequently presented to the State Oversight Committee, which called for immediate and coordinated measures to strengthen primary healthcare delivery.
A separate report published in April 2026 also quoted health advocates raising concerns about chronic underfunding of primary healthcare centres across the state.
According to the advocates, the funding constraints were affecting the availability of essential resources and the quality of healthcare services delivered to residents.
The Spending Priority Question
The Anambra State Government has continued to highlight investments and interventions in the health sector.
However, the government’s own 2026 supervisory exercise acknowledged that some primary healthcare centres still faced basic infrastructure and staffing challenges.
That creates an uncomfortable spending priority question.
Why was ?123.2 million allocated to the construction of a “Solution Is Here Model Gate” serving two general hospitals while primary healthcare facilities across the state have reportedly struggled with essential medical supplies, functioning toilets, ambulances, oxygen, protective equipment, adequate staffing and basic building maintenance?
The question is not necessarily whether the two hospitals require improved entrances or whether the project itself has legitimate construction requirements.
The more fundamental issue is whether the state’s healthcare spending is being directed first toward the areas of greatest medical need.
A gate can improve the appearance, security or access control of a hospital. But it does not provide oxygen to a patient, employ a midwife, repair a leaking roof, stock a pharmacy or equip an emergency ward.
What the Procurement Records Do and Do Not Show
The procurement documents establish that the Anambra State Ministry of Health awarded the contract to Crystal Dove Construction Company Limited for ?123,217,218.82.
They also show the original bids submitted by three companies, the procurement method, the award date and the project classification.
What the publicly available records do not establish is why the project was prioritised at that amount, what specific construction components account for the ?123.2 million cost, why the successful bidder’s original ?229.4 million quotation was reduced to ?123.2 million, or why the published contract duration was recorded as zero days.
Those questions matter because public procurement is ultimately about more than awarding contracts. It is also about demonstrating value for public money.
A Healthcare System Measured Beyond Buildings
For residents who depend on primary healthcare centres, the condition of a health facility is measured in practical terms: whether a nurse is available, whether medicines are in stock, whether an ambulance can respond to an emergency, whether there is electricity, whether the roof keeps out rain and whether essential medical equipment works.
The ?123.2 million gate contract therefore offers a window into a larger debate about healthcare priorities in Anambra State.
As the government continues to promote its health sector investments, residents and taxpayers are entitled to ask whether public spending is addressing the most urgent gaps first.
The central issue is not simply how much Anambra is spending on healthcare.
It is where that money is going and whether the spending is producing the health outcomes residents need most.
