The Lagos State Government has confirmed that the process to establish a medical university is already in the final stage.
This implies that the existing Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, may soon assume the status of a full-fledged university to be known as Lagos State University of Health and Medical Sciences.
The development will increase the tally of the state-owned universities from one to four comprising the Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and the soon-to-be-created medical university.
The state had in the last three years converted its polytechnic in Ikorodu and colleges of education in Ijanikin and another one in Epe to universities increasing the tally to three.
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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced Tuesday during his remarks at the Lagos Physical Planning Summit in response to the observations raised by his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, about the use of veto power at cabinet meetings towards achieving the best for the state.
Fashola, as the keynote speaker, had advocated continued reform in the physical planning and issuance of building permits in the state, urging his successor to avoid the bureaucratic bottlenecks by deploying his veto power as entrusted in him by the electorate.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “My predecessor has also reminded me and assured me that there are some veto powers that I need to use. Just yesterday, there was a contentious cabinet memo in which at the end of the day, I had to put that veto to play.
“We were confronted with getting approval to set up a Lagos State University of Medical Sciences as a deliberate attempt to fix the gap of lack of having qualified medical professionals, doctors, nurses and other health professionals, and this generated hot debates at the cabinet meeting but I had to use the veto power as suggested by my predecessor despite cabinet displeasure,”
The governor’s comment may not also be unconnected with the recent crisis between the management of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, and that of LASUCOM.
The development led to the interdiction of the incumbent provost of the medical college, Abiodun Adewuya, by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello.
However, Mr Adewuya, also a professor, was later reinstated reportedly after the intervention of the governor.
It could not be confirmed what the issues between the VC and the provost were. However, there are speculations that the hostility between them stemmed from the state government’s plan to upgrade the medical college to a full-fledged university of medical sciences.
The upgrade is reportedly being handled by the state government without the support of the university management, a development the university management reportedly found unsavoury.
The provost is believed to be supporting the move against the university management’s interest.
In January, Mr Sanwo-Olu announced plans to establish the University of Health and Medical Sciences before the end of 2024 as part of efforts to tackle the brain drain in the health sector.
At a recent stakeholders’ meeting, the Provost of LASUCOM assured of qualified personnel who are well motivated and enthusiastic to make the medical university “a pride for the state and Nigeria in terms of professionalism and standards.”
In his submissions, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said the state is blessed with enough health and medical infrastructure and facilities to run a successful university of medicine.
Other stakeholders at the meeting assured the state government of their ministries’ readiness, support and cooperation for the multi-campuses medical university which is billed to commence admission in the 2025/2026 academic session.
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