LASG Approves Upgrade of LASUCOM to University of Medicine and Health Sciences

The Lagos State Government has approved the upgrade of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) to a specialized medical university, to be named the University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, during a stakeholders' meeting held at the Conference Hall, Tetfund building, LASUCOM premises on Friday.

The meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry of Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Health, with representatives from the management teams of LASUCOM and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in attendance. According to Sule, the draft law to establish the university has been approved for submission to the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The new university will operate with a network of clinical training facilities across the IBILE administrative divisions of Lagos State, with LASUTH serving as the main oversight clinical training facility.

Reaffirming the government's commitment to the project, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, expressed that the administration is fully dedicated to the upgrade. He noted that a significant expanse of land at Ketu-Ejirin in Epe has been allocated as the main campus of the university. The campus will house administrative buildings and basic medical science programs, while clinical training will be conducted at LASUTH and other designated clinical facilities throughout the state.

Prof. Abayomi explained that the innovative model would enable the new university to leverage the expertise and infrastructure of various well-equipped general hospitals and some private healthcare facilities in Lagos to train a larger number of medical professionals.

The Provost of LASUCOM, Prof. Abiodun Adewuya, expressed appreciation for the state government's efforts and reiterated the college’s readiness to support the transition. He commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for its dedication to establishing the University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

"The government under the leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to successfully transform LASUCOM into a full-fledged university," Prof. Adewuya stated. "We assure everyone that the college is ready to support the government in achieving this goal."

The upgrade process for LASUCOM began in August, following the governor’s earlier announcement in January that a medical university would be established to enhance Lagos State's medical infrastructure and address the emigration of healthcare professionals. Governor Sanwo-Olu had pledged that the institution would be operational before the end of 2024, with a projected annual graduation of 1,500 doctors.

The approval to upgrade LASUCOM to the University of Medicine and Health Sciences marks a significant step towards realizing the governor's vision of bolstering medical education and healthcare delivery in the state.