President Bola Tinubu has unveiled 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and emergency dispatch equipment to improve emergency healthcare delivery, especially in hard-to-reach communities across the country.

Tinubu who commissioned the equipment while launching the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) with the Federal Government virtually on Friday in Abuja, said they were aimed at reducing preventable deaths linked to delays in accessing medical care, particularly among pregnant women and newborns.

Represented by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, the president described the rollout as a major intervention under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the government was determined to ensure that emergency medical help reaches Nigerians on time regardless of location.

He said: “This landmark occasion features the official launch of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System assets including 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances, emergency communication and dispatch equipment to strengthen pre-hospital care across the nation.”

According to him the emergency assets would improve response systems in urban centres, riverine communities and remote rural areas where transportation challenges often worsen medical emergencies.

He said the intervention reflected “a bold national vision where no Nigerian should lose their life because structured medical help could not reach them in time.”

Also commissioned were several healthcare infrastructure projects across the country, including Emergency Operations Centres in Kano, Sokoto and Katsina states, the Lagos Vaccine Hub, primary healthcare infrastructure in Delta State and projects in federal tertiary health institutions.

Other projects unveiled include the Trauma Centre at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; the Mental Health Complex at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; the Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology Centre in Bauchi; the Laboratory Complex at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Complex at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

He disclosed that more than 100 projects had been lined up to mark the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration, with selected projects across the six geopolitical zones chosen for presidential commissioning.

According to him, the projects represented strategic investments in trauma care, maternal and child health, mental healthcare, diagnostics and emergency preparedness.

Highlighting achievements recorded in the health sector within the last three years, Salako said the Federal Government had expanded health insurance coverage by over 33 per cent, revitalised more than 4,000 primary healthcare centres and established 15 new federal tertiary health institutions nationwide.

He added that over 500 specialist healthcare infrastructure projects, including cancer centres and diagnostic facilities, had also been delivered to curb medical tourism.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachallom, said the ambulances would significantly improve healthcare access in underserved communities.

“These ambulances are going down to the rural areas, and they will be stationed at the primary healthcare centres where there are trained drivers, while nurses will accompany the ambulances anytime they need to be moved.”

Kachallom added that emergency contact numbers would be made available at primary healthcare centres to support referrals and rapid emergency response.

She noted that the health sector had “greatly improved under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” expressing confidence that Nigerians would witness better healthcare outcomes before the end of 2027.

National Programme Manager of NEMSAS, Demuren Doubra, explained that the tricycle ambulances were specifically designed to transport pregnant women and newborns during emergencies in difficult terrains and remote communities.

According to him, the conventional ambulances powered by compressed natural gas would be deployed to federal tertiary hospitals, while the tricycle ambulances would operate within communities.

Doubra who revealed that over 58,000 women and more than 2,000 newborns had already benefited from emergency transportation interventions under the programme, cited the case of a pregnant woman who was transported over 180 kilometres from Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State and later delivered triplets safely.

According to him, Nigeria records about 75,000 maternal deaths annually due to delays in seeking care, reaching healthcare facilities and receiving quality treatment, while about 280,000 newborns die every year.

“As NEMSAS, with these facilities and equipment, we are trying to address the delay in reaching care for women and newborns.”

Doubra said the ambulances were being deployed across 15 states under the World Bank-supported IMPACT project to strengthen healthcare delivery at the local government level.

Director of Community Health Services at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nana Abubakar, said the initiative would strengthen emergency transportation systems and improve access to life-saving care.

“It will help reduce preventable deaths, especially amongst mothers, newborn children and other vulnerable groups.”

Abubakar added that emergency response begins within communities and noted that the programme aligned with efforts to strengthen primary healthcare as the foundation for universal health coverage.

Also speaking, National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) Nnena Ogbulafor, linked the intervention to broader efforts aimed at improving health outcomes across the country.

She disclosed that malaria prevalence had dropped to 15 per cent in 2025 from 21 per cent recorded in 2021 saying, “Between three years of Mr President’s agenda, especially as regards the health sector, we’ve been able to reduce the burden of malaria significantly.”

Ogbulafor added that 428 health workers had been trained across the 15 participating states, while emergency communication and awareness campaigns had also been strengthened.

World Bank Task Team Leader, Onoride Ezire, described the launch as a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive toward universal health coverage, even as he added that the specially equipped tricycle ambulances were fitted with communication gadgets and emergency support systems capable of monitoring patients during transportation.

According to him, poor road networks and lack of transportation often turn manageable emergencies into life-threatening situations in rural communities.

Ezire who noted that the ambulances would help reduce maternal and newborn deaths by ensuring faster access to healthcare facilities, urged beneficiary states to ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of the ambulances to guarantee long-term impact.