Lagos upgrades LASUCOM to medical university

The Lagos State Government has given its approval for the upgrade of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) to a specialised medical university.

LASUCOM disclosed this on Sunday night in a post on its official X account, adding that the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, announced that the State Executive Council has also approved that the university will be named the University of Medicine & Health Sciences (UMH).

“Sule disclosed this on Friday during a stakeholders meeting jointly organised by the Ministries of Tertiary Education & Health with the teams of LASUCOM and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja in attendance,” the post read.

The Lagos State Government has begun the process of turning LASUCOM into a medical university in August 2024.

The government in a statement then said it was in furtherance of efforts by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to bequeath an international standard college of medicine and excellent healthcare system to the people of Lagos State.

To achieve its aim, the government through the Ministries of Tertiary Education, Health and Lagos State University College Of Medicine (LASUCOM) convened a series of meetings with critical stakeholders on the establishment of a stand-alone medical university in Lagos state.

Speaking at one of the meetings in Ikeja, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Sule said it’s objective was to ensure Lagos had a medical university capable of bridging the existing gap in the training of medical personnel and improving the healthcare delivery system in the state.

Sule had also reiterated Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to improve the capacity building of medical doctors and allied professions in the state to global standards.

He said the present administration has invested enormous human capital and financial resources in LASUCOM to align with the best global standards to strengthen the state healthcare system.

The Commissioner averred that despite the state government investment in the current Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and giant strides recorded, the institution is still beset with various challenges due to the increase in population, students` admission, healthcare demand, infrastructure expansion and emigration of health workers.

Therefore, he urged the forum to fashion an approach, explore empirical solutions and practical knowledge and make pragmatic steps for a successful takeoff of the University of Medicine and Health Sciences that will meet the medical yearning of the state and Nigeria in general.

In his submissions, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, had said that Lagos State is blessed with enough health and medical infrastructures and facilities to run a successful university of medicine.

In a similar vein, the Provost of LASUCOM, Professor Abiodun Adewuya, had assured of qualified personnel who are well motivated and enthusiastic to make the upcoming stand-alone University of Medicine a pride for the state and Nigeria in terms of professionalism and standards.

The government added that the university is billed to commence admission in the 2024/2025 session, considering the number of existing qualified medical staff and facilities abounding in all divisions of the state for a successful take-off.