Lagos plans medical varsity, expands tertiary reforms

The Lagos State Government has announced a fresh wave of reforms across its tertiary education sector, unveiling plans for a new university of medicine and health sciences alongside expanded investments in digital education, infrastructure, research and student support programmes.

“We are committed to building institutions that can compete globally while producing graduates equipped to solve local and international challenges,” the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, said on Wednesday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa.

Sule said the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was intensifying efforts to position Lagos as a major hub for higher education, innovation and skilled workforce development in West Africa.

He said the reforms were designed to improve the quality of graduates emerging from state-owned institutions while addressing workforce shortages in sectors such as healthcare, technology, and public administration.

Central to the government’s plans is the proposed university of medicine and health sciences, which is being developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

According to Sule, the institution aims to address the growing shortage of medical personnel in Lagos and across the country, particularly as an increasing number of healthcare professionals migrate abroad.

“Lagos requires far more healthcare professionals to match its rapidly growing population. The proposed university is a strategic response to bridge the gap and strengthen healthcare delivery,” he said.

The commissioner said the government had continued to expand access to tertiary education through the construction of lecture theatres and hostels, rehabilitation of laboratories, digitisation of academic systems and improved welfare packages for workers in state-owned institutions.

He also said tertiary institutions in Lagos had maintained stable academic calendars for more than 10 years, attributing the development to consistent engagement with labour unions and efforts to sustain industrial harmony.

Sule disclosed that the government recently resolved labour disputes at Lagos State University through consultations and dialogue with stakeholders.

The ministry further announced new international collaborations aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education, including partnerships with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and PowerChina in engineering, renewable energy and applied technology training.

As part of its digital skills agenda, the state said thousands of students had received training under the Eko Digital initiative and Job Initiative Lagos in areas such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence and digital literacy.

The government also honoured academic excellence with a N10 million award presented to Isioma Sybil Nwosu, recognised as the overall best graduating student of Lagos State University for the 2023/2024 academic session.

At Lagos State University of Science and Technology, several TetFund-supported projects were unveiled, including lecture halls, hostels, research facilities and a central auditorium.

One of the institution’s students, Oniyinde Jesutofunmi, emerged as the winner of the national edition of the Red Bull Basement Nigeria competition with an innovation focused on monitoring livestock health through Internet of Things technology. The student is expected to represent Nigeria in the United States.

Lagos State University of Education also recorded several milestones, including winning the Nigeria Internet Registration Association’s Best University Website Award.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State University College of Medicine expanded projects at its Yaba and Gbagada campuses to increase admission capacity and ease pressure on existing facilities.

The college also strengthened partnerships with institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia while expanding digital learning infrastructure and transportation systems.

The Lagos State Scholarship Board said it disbursed more than N504 million in scholarships and bursaries to 4,394 beneficiaries during the review period, including a special scholarship for the inclusion programme for persons with disabilities and vulnerable residents.

Other state agencies, including the Lagos State Agency for Mass Education and the Lagos State Library Board, also reported expanded literacy campaigns, vocational training initiatives, solar-powered library projects and reading advocacy programmes across the state.