The process of turning the Lagos State University College of Medicine into a fully fledged, independent medical university has commenced by the Lagos State Government.
Recall that the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had Stated early the year that his administration intended to build a medical university in order to improve the state’s medical infrastructure and prevent doctors and other medical professionals from leaving the state for other countries.
The projected medical institution would supposedly graduate roughly 1,500 doctors annually, according to the governor, who declared that the university would begin functioning before the end of 2024 and urged other states to emulate Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government will be setting up, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Universities Commission, a new university to be named Lagos State Medical University, before the end of this year (2024). This is a strategic intervention for us,” he had said.
As a result, the Ministry of Tertiary Education revealed on Tuesday that it had requested a meeting concerning important stakeholders to discuss the foundation of the intended medical institution.
“In furtherance of efforts by Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to provide an internationally standardised college of medicine and an excellent healthcare system for the people of Lagos State, the government, through the Ministries of Tertiary Education, Health, and Lagos State University College of Medicine, has convened a meeting with key stakeholders on the establishment of a stand-alone medical university in Lagos State,” a statement from Mr. Mamud Hassan, Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Tertiary Education, said.
“The goal of the meeting was to ensure Lagos has a medical university capable of bridging the existing gap in the training of medical personnel and improving the healthcare delivery system in the state,” stated Mr. Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, in a statement made at the forum in Ikeja, the state capital.
Sule reiterated Sanwo-Olu’s pledge to improve the state’s medical doctors and medical related professionals’ capacity building to match international standards.
He noted that the Lagos State College of Medicine have been given substantial financial and human resource investments from the current administration in an effort to improve the state’s healthcare system and bring it into compliance with international recognised practices.
The Commissioner stated that even with the advancements and the state government’s investment in LASUCOM, the university still faces difficulties because of growing enrolment, emigration of medical professionals, infrastructure growth, and rising population.
He encouraged the forum “to devise an approach, explore empirical solutions, and make practical steps for a successful launch of the University of Medicine and Health Sciences that will address the medical needs of the state and Nigeria as a whole.”
Professor Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner of Health, stated in his speech that the state has the needed medical and health facilities to sustain a prosperous medical institution.
In a similar vein, Professor Abiodun Adewuya, the Provost of LASUCOM, assured that the organisation employs skilled and driven staff members who are keen to establish the new independent University of Medicine as a point of pride for the state and Nigeria in terms of professionalism and standards.
“Other stakeholders at the meeting assured the state government of their ministries’ readiness, support, and cooperation for the multi-campus University of Medical and Health Sciences, which is scheduled to commence admissions in the 2024/2025 session, given the number of qualified medical staff and facilities available throughout the state for a successful launch.
“The stakeholders’ meeting was part of the intellectual and professional engagement carefully planned by the Ministries of Tertiary Education, Health, and LASUCOM as a strategy to explore empirical and practical knowledge for the successful establishment of the multi-campus University of Medicine and Health Sciences, aimed at addressing the medical needs of the state and Nigeria by providing healthcare that addresses and analyses the causes, effects, and dimensions of medical issues affecting our state and national healthcare needs,” the statement read.
