The Lagos State House of Assembly is advancing a bill to establish a University of Medicine and Health Sciences as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and build human capacity in the state.
A public hearing on the proposed legislation was held on Wednesday at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Lagos Assembly complex, with broad participation from medical professionals, academics, traditional rulers, and students.
Presiding over the hearing, Deputy Speaker Hon. Lasbat Meranda stressed the importance of stakeholder contributions, noting that public input would ensure the new, multi-campus institution becomes a sustainable and impactful centre of learning.
Also speaking, Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Richard Kasunmu and Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Hon. Owolabi Ajani, assured participants that all feedback would be carefully reviewed in shaping the final bill.
The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, explained that the bill is not simply a renaming of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) but a deliberate plan to establish a robust institution capable of training and deploying medical and health professionals within and beyond Lagos.
Supporting this, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, highlighted the urgent need for more medical professionals to meet the demands of Lagos’s rapidly growing population.
He noted that the university would not only improve healthcare delivery but also help curb the emigration of doctors by providing quality training opportunities locally.
Stakeholders at the hearing presented suggestions and memoranda, reflecting broad consensus on the importance of the initiative for the future of healthcare in Lagos State.
