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Institute completes N8 billion twin-tower campus in Abuja

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has completed its N8 billion twin tower, which will assist it bring quality health services within reach of millions of Nigerians.

The seven-storey edifice located in Abuja is a combination of lettable office buildings, with clinical laboratories for diagnosis, research and training, functional clinic space for patient care and clinical trials, bio-specimen repositories for storage and management of bio-specimens. The first phase includes multi-media lecture auditoriums, meeting rooms, as well as mini-conference hall, offices and multi-level car park.

IHVN Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah, who disclosed this to The Guardian, said that work on the second phase, which includes construction of a conference centre and hotel, will commence when funds are available.

He said: “We are still fund-raising for the next phases and seeking support from high-net-worth individuals, companies, foundations and financial institutions”

Mensah said the major problem in Nigeria is lack of maintenance culture and that the institute places much emphasis on maintenance, adding that resources to maintain the buildings and facilities would be sourced from leases.

“We won’t use revenue from leases for capital development, but only for maintenance to ensure that the buildings and facilities function at maximum capacity. We embarked on this project to facilitate research activities that bridge international and Nigerian researchers to promote public/private partnerships, as well as ensure quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa,” he said.

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Mensah disclosed that the building project began in 2017 after a N5 billion fundraising dinner in Lagos supported by Access Bank Plc and the Dangote Foundation, organised by Prof. Emeritus Umaru Shehu and institute’s management, who envisioned a campus to house office spaces, laboratories and training centres.

He noted that the selection of Lubell Nigeria Limited, an indigenous construction firm to handle the project was deliberate and strategic as the IHVN board felt that an indigenous firm would showcase the engineering capabilities of Nigerians, create jobs and add to the country’s economic growth.

According to him, the project was designed to attract national and international collaborations; and emphasis was placed on safety and security, especially fire prevention and fighting. The towers have live-streaming security cameras, sprinkler system, water hoses and fire extinguishers.

Guardian

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