Working in partnership with Kings College Hospital to support the new African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja, Nigeria
In 2021, The Christie became the Oncology partner to Kings College Hospital in advising a new client, Afreximbank, on its exciting hospital build project in Abuja, Nigeria, the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE).
On 5 June 2025, the project entered a new phase with the commissioning of clinical services, marked by an opening ceremony, presided over by H.E Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery CMG.
The AMCE is the largest specialised private hospital in Nigeria and West Africa focusing on cardiology, haematology, oncology and general medical services. Opening with 170 beds, the plan is to expand this to 500 beds in the next phase, as well as establish medical and nursing schools, a medical sciences foundation, research centres, and residential facilities. Together, this integrated ecosystem will position Nigeria as a leading hub for specialist healthcare, medical training, and clinical research on the continent.
The centre will have the potential to provide services to over 200,000 patients in Nigeria and a further 150,000 patients from neighbouring West African countries within its first 5 years of operation. Once fully established, the centre will help conserve foreign exchange in Africa and promote intra-African medical tourism.
Oncology facilities feature 20 chemotherapy chairs and specialised radiotherapy equipment including 2 linear accelerators and a brachytherapy machine. The hospital also includes a cyclotron with the capacity to provide radioisotopes, locally and internationally, in addition to positron emission tomography, enhancing cancer diagnostic services.
The Christie International’s clinical and technical experts have provided advice to AMCE executives on the establishment of oncology services during the development phase on clinical service strategy and design, workforce modelling and support to recruitment.
Support to assure the quality of the service will continue, alongside the provision of clinical case reviews and access to clinical guidelines, until 2031.
There is also potential for the AMCE to refer patients with more complex cases to The Christie Private Care for treatment.
The project will also allow The Christie Institute for Cancer Education to extend its global reach by providing education and training opportunities to AMCE oncology staff, including observerships, clinical fellows and online masterclasses.
Headed up by clinical lead Dr Lip Lee, the project will help further enhance the Trust’s reputation as a world leading cancer centre, provide an opportunity to reinvest income into The Christie’s NHS services and provide learning and development opportunities for the staff involved in contributing to the project.