Lagos To Establish Medical University By End of 2024

Lagos State is set to establish a medical university to enhance the training of health professionals and combat the issue of brain drain in the health sector.  

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed this during the inauguration of the Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital in Surulere, Lagos, facilitated by the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.  

The governor emphasized that the medical university, a collaborative effort with the Federal Government, is expected to be operational before the conclusion 2024. 

The governor emphasising the importance of the hospital project said, “This is strategic for us. This is a strategic intervention for us. Why are we setting up a health or a medical university? It is to solve two problems. We found out that working with the Federal Ministry of Health, we need to scale up very aggressively all of our training and all of the youths to be trained in everything within our health space.

“We cannot sit back and fold our arms as a government that cannot intervene. And so we will, as a state, hope that other states will take this initiative and set up similar universities to be able to scale up and have between 1,000 and 1,500 doctors graduating every year. And this will also stem, in our view, the trend of medical personnel leaving our country. We are not going to stop at ensuring that we provide the best facilities to be able to retain our best talents here,” he said.

Dr Rahman Olayinka, the President of the Association of Residents Doctors (ARD) in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, expressed dismay over the disturbing trend wherein five to ten association members migrate weekly to other countries, driven by the quest for enhanced welfare and conducive working conditions.  

During a press briefing on December 4, 2023, Dr. Olayinka called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s health system to address the critical issue of brain drain. 

Highlighting the main reasons behind this migration, Olayinka stated, “The advocacy is for improved welfare packages. Health workers leave because they get better welfare packages, good working environments, and a proper healthcare system, including robust insurance cover for their families.“ 

Stressing the situation’s urgency, he urged a complete restructuring of the healthcare system to curb the outflow of healthcare professionals seeking opportunities abroad.