The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, with the representative of the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Senior Colonel Ouyang Haisheng, the defence attaché, at the meeting
The Federal Government has welcomed plans by the Chinese Navy hospital ship, Ark of Peace, to provide medical services to Nigerians during a seven-day outreach scheduled for November 10–17, 2026, in Lagos.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the initiative as an important step towards strengthening health cooperation and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and China.
Pate, who expressed appreciation to the Chinese government, the Chinese ambassador and other stakeholders for facilitating the visit, said the medical mission would expand access to healthcare services and create opportunities for knowledge exchange between Nigerian and Chinese health professionals.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery across primary, secondary and tertiary levels, adding that he would brief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the development.
The minister said international partnerships of this nature could improve service delivery, quality of care and health outcomes while contributing to the development of stronger and more responsive healthcare systems.
Details of the proposed outreach were presented at a coordination meeting by the representative of the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Senior Colonel Ouyang Haisheng, the defence attaché.
Haisheng said the hospital ship, described as a fully equipped floating hospital with a displacement of approximately 16,000 tonnes, has eight operating theatres and more than 100 doctors and other medical personnel.
He said the vessel was expected to attend to about 600 or more patients daily during the main service period, subject to operational arrangements.
The proposed medical services include consultations, physical examinations, laboratory investigations, diagnostic imaging, surgical procedures and cataract treatment under the Brightness Initiative.
The Chinese medical team will also demonstrate traditional Chinese medicine techniques, including acupuncture, moxibustion and scraping therapy, while exploring opportunities for joint clinical activities with Nigerian medical professionals.
Beyond services provided aboard the ship, the mission plans to deploy mobile medical teams to communities and selected institutions, including schools, orphanages, homes for older persons and disability centres.
Temporary medical facilities may also be established at accessible locations, such as stadiums, churches and schools, to extend healthcare services to underserved populations.
Haisheng said China’s overseas medical missions began in 2010 and had provided healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of patients in different countries.
He expressed optimism that the proposed visit would strengthen Nigeria-China health cooperation through improved access to medical services, professional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, said the state government regarded the initiative as a high priority and had established a multidisciplinary committee to coordinate the successful implementation of the mission.
Abayomi, who joined the coordination meeting virtually from London while on official assignment, said the state was working with relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Navy, security agencies and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, to ensure operational readiness and regulatory compliance.
He explained that the seven-day outreach would combine onshore medical services at selected general hospitals along the Lagos Marina axis with referrals of selected cases requiring advanced specialist attention to the hospital ship.
According to him, the arrangement would facilitate patient triage, ease logistics and maximise the use of available medical expertise.
The commissioner also proposed extending the outreach to hard-to-reach riverine communities across Lagos State, using the ship’s waterborne capabilities and available boats to reach underserved populations.
He said the initiative would provide opportunities for academic and professional exchanges between Nigerian health officials and Chinese medical specialists, particularly in clinical practices, specialised services and healthcare delivery models.
Abayomi assured the Federal Government of Lagos State’s readiness to work with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant authorities to host the mission.
He also disclosed plans to facilitate a courtesy visit by the Chinese diplomatic mission to the Lagos State governor and other senior government officials to formally welcome the delegation.
On regulatory arrangements, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Professor Fatima Kyari, said the council had verified the professional status of the participating doctors and completed their licensing.
She said temporary registration had been granted, restricted to specified places of service and a limited period, to safeguard patients and ensure that Nigerians received appropriate specialist medical care.
Also speaking, the representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Surgeon Commodore Momoh Jimoh Salihu, assured the organisers of adequate security during the exercise, describing the outreach as a welcome development.
The Federal Government expressed hope that the mission would strengthen the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and China and create opportunities for sustained collaboration in the health sector.
