The Lagos State Government has commenced the process to convert the Lagos State University College of Medicine into a full-fledged, stand-alone medical university.

Recall that Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced in early January that his government would establish a medical university to enhance the state’s medical infrastructure and counter the emigration of doctors and other medical personnel abroad.

Sanwo-Olu, who stated that the university would be established before the end of 2024, mentioned that the planned medical university would graduate about 1,500 doctors annually and encouraged other states to follow Lagos’s example.

“The Lagos State Government will be setting up, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Universities Commission, a new university to be named Lagos State Medical University, before the end of this year (2024). This is a strategic intervention for us,” he had said.

Consequently, the Ministry of Tertiary Education disclosed on Tuesday that it had convened a meeting with key stakeholders regarding the establishment of the proposed medical university.

“In furtherance of efforts by Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to provide an internationally standardised college of medicine and an excellent healthcare system for the people of Lagos State, the government, through the Ministries of Tertiary Education, Health, and Lagos State University College of Medicine, has convened a meeting with key stakeholders on the establishment of a stand-alone medical university in Lagos State,” a statement from Mr. Mamud Hassan, Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Tertiary Education, said.

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According to the statement, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, speaking at the forum in Ikeja, the state capital, said, “The objective of the meeting was to ensure Lagos has a medical university capable of bridging the existing gap in the training of medical personnel and improving the healthcare delivery system in the state.”

Sule reiterated Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to enhancing the capacity building of medical doctors and allied professionals in the state to meet global standards.

He noted that the current administration has invested significant human capital and financial resources in the Lagos State College of Medicine to align with the best global standards and strengthen the state’s healthcare system.

The Commissioner acknowledged that despite the state government’s investment in LASUCOM and the progress made,