President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled a major nationwide emergency healthcare intervention programme with the deployment of 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances, and advanced emergency communication and dispatch systems aimed at improving medical response services in underserved and difficult-to-reach communities across Nigeria.
The initiative, introduced under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), represents one of the Federal Government’s largest emergency healthcare expansion programmes in recent years. The intervention is designed to improve emergency medical access, strengthen pre-hospital care, and significantly reduce avoidable deaths among pregnant women, newborns, children, and other vulnerable citizens.
The launch took place during a virtual inauguration of several health sector projects organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Speaking during the event, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziak Adekunle Salako, described the programme as a transformative step in Nigeria’s healthcare sector under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to Salako, the deployment of the emergency response assets demonstrates the administration’s determination to ensure that no Nigerian loses their life because of delays in accessing emergency medical assistance.
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.”
The minister explained that the tricycle ambulances and boat emergency units were specifically designed to serve rural settlements, riverine communities, and remote areas where conventional ambulances often struggle to operate effectively.
He added that the initiative would greatly improve emergency healthcare response times, especially in communities with poor road networks and limited access to hospitals.
Apart from the ambulance rollout, the Federal Government also inaugurated several healthcare infrastructure projects spread across different parts of the country. These include newly established Emergency Operations Centres in Kano, Sokoto, and Katsina states, the Lagos Vaccine Hub, as well as multiple tertiary healthcare projects.
Among the key projects commissioned were the Trauma Centre at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in 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 in Abuja.
Salako disclosed that more than 100 healthcare projects had been earmarked to mark the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration, stressing that the investments were targeted at improving trauma care, maternal healthcare, diagnostics, mental healthcare services, and emergency medical preparedness nationwide.
Highlighting achievements recorded in the health sector over the last three years, the minister said health insurance enrollment had increased by over 33 percent. He also revealed that more than 4,000 primary healthcare centres had been revitalised across the country while 15 new federal tertiary health institutions had been established.
According to him, the government has additionally developed more than 500 specialist healthcare infrastructure projects, including cancer treatment and diagnostic centres, as part of efforts to reduce medical tourism and improve access to quality healthcare within Nigeria.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachallom, stated that the ambulances would be stationed primarily at healthcare centres in rural communities where trained personnel would coordinate emergency medical operations.
“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,” she said.
Kachallom further explained that emergency telephone lines and referral systems would also be introduced at the healthcare centres to improve communication and ensure faster emergency coordination.
The National Programme Manager of NEMSAS, Demuren Doubra, disclosed that the specially designed tricycle ambulances were introduced to address transportation challenges faced by pregnant women and newborns in remote areas.
He revealed that the emergency intervention programme had already assisted more than 58,000 women and over 2,000 newborns through emergency transportation services.
Doubra narrated the story of a pregnant woman who was transported over a distance of 180 kilometres from Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State and later successfully delivered triplets.
“This is a woman that would have died because of a gap in transportation,” he said.
He further noted that Nigeria records approximately 75,000 maternal deaths annually due to pregnancy-related complications, while nearly 280,000 newborns die each year, largely because of delays in accessing medical care.
“As NEMSAS, with these facilities and equipment, we are trying to address the delay in reaching care for women and newborns,” he added.
Director of Community Health Services at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nana Abubakar, also praised the intervention, saying it would strengthen referral systems and improve emergency healthcare access for vulnerable groups.
“It will help reduce preventable deaths, especially amongst mothers, newborn children and other vulnerable groups,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Nnena Ogbulafor, disclosed that malaria prevalence in Nigeria had dropped from 21 percent in 2021 to 15 percent in 2025.
“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,” she stated.
World Bank Task Team Leader, Onoride Ezire, described the emergency ambulance rollout as a significant step toward achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
“They are not just vehicles, they are not just ambulances; they are life-saving machines,” Ezire said while urging beneficiary states and healthcare agencies to ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of the emergency response assets.
