Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
Residents of Delta State may soon no longer have to wait for disease samples to be analysed outside the state, as the government begins construction of a specialised public health laboratory expected to be completed by March 2027. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this in an interview with journalists, saying the laboratory would enable the state to conduct local testing for Lassa fever and other infectious diseases, ending years of dependence on facilities in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos. “With a Lassa fever outbreak, we no longer need to send our samples to other states to analyse and bring back. That will be done in Delta State,” he said.
The public health laboratory is one of two major healthcare projects being developed by the Oborevwori administration, alongside the state's first neuropsychiatric facility. Both projects followed a comprehensive needs assessment conducted shortly after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office in 2023, which identified the absence of a dedicated neuropsychiatric hospital and a specialised public health laboratory as critical gaps requiring urgent intervention. The commissioner explained that residents requiring psychiatric care had often been forced to seek treatment outside Delta, particularly in Port Harcourt and Benin, a situation that has become more concerning amid rising drug abuse and mental health challenges. The new neuropsychiatric facility would bring specialised mental healthcare closer to residents while reducing the cost and inconvenience of travelling outside the state.
The public health laboratory, however, addresses another major challenge that became obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks. Onojaeme recalled that during the pandemic and subsequent outbreaks, samples collected in Delta were often transported to specialised laboratories in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos for analysis, a situation that sometimes resulted in delays in obtaining test results. He warned that such delays could have serious implications during disease outbreaks, stressing that the new facility would enable the state to conduct specialised investigations locally.
The commissioner said the laboratory would be equipped with modern diagnostic equipment, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines, to support testing for infectious diseases. The facility is being developed to meet the standards of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), with the aim of ensuring that its laboratory results meet acceptable standards. Onojaeme said he recently inspected the laboratory to assess the progress of construction and expressed confidence that the project would be completed by March 2027.
The commissioner said the two projects represented major investments in Delta's healthcare infrastructure and would improve access to specialised medical services. The public health laboratory would also strengthen the state's ability to detect and respond quickly to disease outbreaks without depending heavily on facilities outside Delta. The development comes as Nigeria continues to battle Lassa fever outbreaks, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 1,035 confirmed cases and 252 deaths as of epidemiological week 33 in 2026. Delta State has recorded multiple cases in recent years, including four confirmed cases in 2024 and 2026, with the state previously relying on Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State for test results. The new laboratory is expected to significantly reduce the turnaround time for test results, which has historically taken up to 72 hours when samples were sent outside the state.
For residents of Delta State, the completion of these facilities by March 2027 represents a significant step toward greater healthcare autonomy. The ability to test for Lassa fever locally will not only speed up diagnosis and treatment but also reduce the logistical and financial burden of transporting samples across state lines. As Onojaeme noted, the days of depending on other states for specialised testing are numbered. “That will be done in Delta State,” he said.
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