FG, Lagos Set To Establish Medical University In 2024
Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Federal Government is set to kick off the establishment of a University of Medical Science in 2024.
Nnenna Orji 
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, announced that his administration plans to establish a University of Medical Science, to be established in collaboration with the Federal Government, and would commence operations before the end of the year.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made this announcement while inaugurating an 80-bed hospital in Surulere, donated by Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (COS) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He stated that the first-ever University of Medical Science in the country would address the challenge of mass brain drain in the sector, commonly called the “Japa” syndrome.
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Speaking about the project, formerly known as Iyun Primary Health Centre (PHC) before being upgraded to a fully-fledged hospital by Gbajabiamila and renamed by the Local Government Authority in the area to Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the hospital aligns with his THEMES plus agenda and would serve numerous communities in the area.
The hospital, located at Iyun Street, off Funsho William Avenue, was handed over to the state government on Tuesday by Hon. Gbajabiamila and the local government authority in the area. The governor expressed optimism that with the secondary health facility and general hospital put in place, maternal mortality would be reduced.
According to him, “What a way to start an eventful and impactful year for all of us, 2024. There is no better time, space, or moment to start the New Year than to hit the ground running.
“Today, people of Lagos, we are at the fourth commissioning. We were at Lagos State University, LASU, where we commissioned and handed over an international conference centre for the University.
“This was right in our education pillar. Next, we went to the infrastructure pillar, making Lagos a 21st-century city, where we handed over a strategic road called Babs Animashaun Road, transforming it from a single two-lane to a dual-carriage road with two bridges constructed to connect the people of Surulere to Orile Igamu.
“A journey that hitherto took 30 minutes has been reduced to less than five to seven minutes. That is another promise.”
The governor further added, “Another on the pillar is youth engagement and gender equality. We built and handed over a multi-use sanctuary, a Youth Development Center with multidimensional uses from an auditorium to a basketball tennis court, to a lawn tennis court, to all sorts of a gym. This will resonate well with our youth, our people in entertainment, and our people in sports, fitting into another pillar of economic affairs.
“And here is another pillar of the economic agenda, the health sector. This is meaningful development working at the highest level.
“This is also an opportunity for me to announce another bold initiative of the Lagos State Government to establish a University of Medical Science before the end of this year.
“Why are we setting up a Medical University? It is to address two problems: brain drain created by the Japa syndrome.”
