Lagos plans new University of Medicine and Health Sciences to bridge skill gap

The Lagos State Government plans to establish a new university to be known as the University of Medicine and Health Sciences to bridge the skill gap in advanced healthcare delivery and expand access to specialised higher education.

Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, disclosed this Wednesday, at a ministerial briefing marking the 7th anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, saying a bill to give a legal effect to the new university had been forwarded to the state legislature and is currently receiving attention.

If this sails through, it will bring the number of universities owned by the state government to four. Already existing ones include Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUTECH).

According to Sule, the new university was being planned in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and would significantly increase the training of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals while helping to reduce the persistent migration of medical practitioners abroad.

Recall that Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, recently said that there was a deficit of about 33,000 medical doctors, as it currently operates with 7,000 out of about 40,000 required for an effective healthcare delivery to the growing Lagos population estimated at over 20 million people.

Sule, the education commissioner, also spoke on efforts the government is making to expand access to higher education in Lagos. He said priority was being given to the construction of hostels and lecture theatres, the upgrade of laboratories, the digitisation of learning systems and improved welfare for academic and non-academic staff.

“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 ministry also highlighted efforts to maintain industrial harmony within tertiary institutions, noting that the government successfully resolved the recent industrial action by unions at Lagos State University through dialogue and stakeholder engagement.

Sule noted that Lagos tertiary institutions had maintained uninterrupted academic calendars for over a decade, describing the feat as evidence of the administration’s commitment to stability and staff welfare.

In a move to align education with global labour market realities, the ministry announced expanded collaborations with international and private institutions, including partnerships with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and PowerChina to strengthen technical and vocational education.

The partnerships are expected to expose Lagos students to international best practices in engineering, renewable energy, vocational training and applied technology.

The state government also intensified digital empowerment programmes through the Eko Digital initiative and Job Initiative Lagos, where thousands of students received training in digital literacy, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and emotional intelligence.

As part of efforts to reward academic excellence, the government presented a N10 million award to Miss Isioma Sybil Nwosu, the overall best graduating student of Lagos State University for the 2023/2024 academic session.

The briefing further showcased achievements across Lagos tertiary institutions.

At Lagos State University, the institution emerged as the most subscribed university in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and retained its ranking as the best university in Sub-Saharan Africa according to the Greenmetrics global ranking.

The university also recorded major infrastructure projects, including the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, an 800-seat lecture hall and sanitation projects across campuses.

Similarly, Lagos State University of Science and Technology unveiled several TetFund-backed projects, including lecture theatres, hostels, research laboratories and a central auditorium.