Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has signed into law the bill establishing the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Akwanga, recently passed by the State House of Assembly. The governor disclosed that the state government has allocated N6 billion to upgrade the hospital’s facilities to meet the standards of tertiary health institutions across the state.
Governor Sule signed the bill on Wednesday at the Government House in Lafia, the state capital, emphasizing that the funding comes from resources provided by the World Bank, which identified Nasarawa State for its ease of doing business. He said, “We were able to have N17 billion given to us. Out of this N17 billion, we are keeping aside about N6 billion to be given immediately to this DASH Akwanga so that it can be upgraded to the level of a tertiary healthcare facility both in Lafia and in Keffi.”
The governor explained that the establishment of DASH Akwanga is part of the state government’s commitment to ensuring that each senatorial zone has a tertiary health facility capable of addressing critical health needs.
He noted that the former DASH in Lafia was donated to the Federal Government to serve as the teaching hospital for the Federal University of Lafia. “This informed the decision of government to establish a similar tertiary health institution in Akwanga bearing the same name, in honor of the late Dr. Dalhatu Araf, to immortalize his contributions to healthcare development in Nasarawa and Plateau States,” Governor Sule said.
The move is expected to expand access to specialized medical services, improve healthcare delivery, and reinforce the state’s commitment to equitable development across its senatorial zones.
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