By Muhammad Auwal Adam
The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF ) was established in May 2005 to facilitate national development goals through the promotion of access to lottery proceeds for developmental intervention in various human endeavour across the country.
Since the establishment of the Agency, a lot of achievements were recorded in different areas of national development that include monumental intervention in Healthcare, education, sports, environment, infrastructural development and potable water supply.
Since he became the substantive Executive Secretary of the agency in 2019, Dr Bello Maigari, has significantly strengthened the intervention capacity of the agency to compliment the untiring prospective efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in National Healthcare development.
In line with the Federal Government agenda of promoting effective and standard Healthcare services in the country, the agency has excelled by recording significant achievements in provision of World class Medical equipments.
Considering the importance of healthcare to national economic development, the agency has upgraded and changed the tune of many health care facilities in Six Geopolitical zones in the country.
History will never forget the Agency’s vital role played in saving and protecting millions of Nigerian’s lives during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency, quickly intervened and supplied advanced medical equipments including Emergency Personal Protection Equipments (EPPE) to many hospitals and Isolation centres across the country.
The agency’s quick response of medical equipment interventions has drawn executive and public commendations from federal, State and local governments as well as Non Governmental Organisations across the country.
Dr Bello Maigari, is among the few most highly respected and intellectual administrators to oversee one of the prestigious government’s agency.
The Super Administrator has demonstrated excellent leadership in transforming the nation’s Healthcare facilities through the agency’s vital medical equipment intervention projects.
No doubt, his good leadership style in the agency is amongst the best by any federal government agency in the country since 2019 to date.
Some of the healthcare interventions provided by the agency include;
~ Modern Electric Delivery Beds at General Hospital, Gombe, in Gombe state,.
~ Ultra Sound Machine with Monitor to the General Hospital, Daura, Katsina State.
~ Double Hydraulic Delivery Beds to Primary Health Centre, Orikan, Lagos State and Laboratory Autoclave Machines to Health Institutions across the country.
Dr Bello Maigari, led management has similarly, recorded remarkable achievements and displayed an impressive performance that actualised the mandate of the agency and prove it capacity to effective service delivery.
Some of the epoch making interventions by the agency include; commissioning and hand over of World class medical equipments to Primary Healthcare clinic, New Karu in Nasarawa state in addition to the supply of vital medical equipment to General Hospital Moniya, Akinyele in Oyo State, Kugba Maternity and General Hospital, Agbowu, Abeokuta South in Ondo State and Nneto Health centre maternity home in Abia State.
Also, General Hospital Umunze, Orumba South, Anambra State, Eja Memorial/Joint Hospital, Itigidi, Abi, Cross River State and Joint Hospital Amaigbo Nwangele, Imo State as well as Ibakwa – Nike Health centre, Enugu East, Enugu State.
Given the importance of Healthcare delivery, the agency has provided vital medical equipments to Eketube- Enyigba Primary Healthcare, Abakaliki in Ebonyi state, General Hospitals Bali and Garaku in Taraba and Nasarawa States respectively.
Also, Kwoi and Kagarko Comprehensive healthcare centres in Kaduna are among the beneficiaries of the vital medical equipment intervention.
Nevertheless, the general Hospital Hong in Adamawa state which was recently upgraded to federal medical centre and Federal Medical Centre, Yola, now upgraded to Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital are among the beneficiaries of world class medical equipments intervention by the agency .
Dr Bello Maigari, in one of his speech at the commissioning of medical equipments provided to Gbaja Randle Hospital Mother and Child care, general Hospital Gbaja Street, Surulere in Lagos State, he said that the agency saddled with the mandate to promote social inclusion and health wellbeing of Nigerians.
The agency over the years had enhanced capacity delivery of many health facilities across the country to cater for the health needs of patients, pregnant women, children and the vulnerable members of the society.
” Nevertheless, the Agency has significantly recorded plausible interventions in various aspects of nation building.
“As I m talking to you , the Nigeria’s gaming market is the fastest growing in Africa with the sales revenue approximately Two Trillion Naira annually ,this indicates that , Lottery is a wealth generator,” Bello Maigari said.
He reaffirmed that the agency will never relent and will continue to work constructively with National Assembly to put forward legislations that will support the process of revitalising the lottery industry in Nigeria to greater height.
He assured that the nation’s gaming market if properly revitalized will raise enormous revenues for national development and create more job opportunities that would help actualise President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
Adam writes the piece from Abuja.
