By Bunmi Yekini
The Lagos State House of Assembly has taken a major step toward strengthening the state’s healthcare sector with a bill seeking to establish a University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
At a public hearing on Wednesday held at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, lawmakers, government officials, and stakeholders discussed the proposed legislation aimed at addressing Lagos’s growing medical needs.
Deputy Speaker, Hon. Merainda Lasbat, said the process was designed to carry the public along in shaping the new institution. “This hearing ensures that the proposed multi-campus university is not just created, but built as a lasting and sustainable institution,” she noted.
Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Richard Kassumu, assured participants that their views would count in the final drafting of the bill. “All feedback and submissions will be thoroughly reviewed and considered,” he said.
Speaking on the objectives of the bill, Mr. Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, explained that it is not simply about renaming the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM). “This is a deliberate effort to create a robust institution that will train and deploy medical and health professionals across Lagos and beyond,” he said.
Also lending his voice, Professor Akin Abayomi, Commissioner for Health, stressed the urgent need for more homegrown medical professionals. “There is a significant gap between the state’s growing population and the number of available medical practitioners. This university will play a vital role in building human capacity in the health sector and improving medical care delivery,” he said.
Professor Abayomi added that the new institution would also help reduce the steady emigration of doctors, which has long weakened the healthcare workforce.
The hearing drew a diverse audience, including medical practitioners, academics, traditional rulers, and students, who all submitted memoranda and suggestions to strengthen the bill.