News

Japa: Lagos Suffers Deficit Of 30,000 Doctors, Commissioner Laments

Published

3 months ago

March 27, 2025

…as Sanwo-Olu approves the expansion of LASUCOM, the conversion of isolation centres

…to train 12,500 health professionals in 5yrs

Lagos State currently faces a deficit of 30,000 doctors and a significant shortage of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory scientists, and other allied health professionals.

This comes as State Government handed over key medical infrastructure to contractors for conversion into modern academic facilities aimed to combat the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in the state. The moves followed approval by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The infrastructure include; Expansion of Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, the transformation of the CACOVID Isolation Centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, into large lecture theatres and multi-disciplinary laboratories, and the conversion of the Cardio-Renal Centre at Gbagada General Hospital into academic offices and tutorial lecture rooms.

This ambitious expansion of key medical education facilities is geared towards accommodating the imminent increase in student admissions across critical medical disciplines, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health professions.

The goal is to scale up student admissions from the current 200 to 2,500 annually within the next five years, significantly increasing Lagos’ capacity to train healthcare professionals.

Speaking at the official handover of the facilities, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, stressed that the initiative was a response to the severe shortage of human resources for health, exacerbated by the sustained outbound migration of medical professionals, otherwise known as Japa syndrome.

According to him, “Lagos currently faces a deficit of 30,000 doctors and a significant shortage of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory scientists, and other allied health professionals.

“The expansion is part of a broader two-pronged strategy approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to mitigate the crisis. The first approach is to produce more healthcare professionals by increasing student intake, which necessitates a substantial expansion of tertiary education infrastructure.

“The government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved a phased expansion of infrastructure to accommodate an increased intake of students in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health sciences.

“Our target is to scale up annual student admissions from 200 to 2,500 over the next five years,” Abayomi revealed.

He explained that the second approach is to ensure tha students receive quality training, requiring accreditation from regulatory bodies.

To achieve this, he explained that three critical requirements must be met: Adequate space for training, a sufficient number of academic instructors, and access to a diverse patient population for hands-on clinical training.

“Training healthcare professionals is not just about lecture halls; it requires practical exposure in laboratories and patient care settings. Our expansion plan ensures that all these elements are in place,” he stated.

“In healthcare, bigger is always better. It is preferable to have more capacity than to underestimate future needs.

“The expanded infrastructure will not only support increased student intake but also enhance Lagos’ credibility with accreditation bodies like the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the National Universities Commission (NUC),” he added.

The commissioner highlighted that the project will provide 1,600 additional lecture theatre seats, 1,600 laboratory spaces, and 110 new office spaces for lecturers and academic staff.

He assured that Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency, LASIAMA, will oversee the execution to ensure adherence to the highest construction standards.

Expressing gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Abayomi commended their swift response to the crisis. “Their vision and commitment to healthcare and education reform have enabled us to act decisively.

“In four months, we expect to return here to commission these facilities for academic use,” he concluded.

The State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, praised the initiative as a vital step towards addressing the human capital deficit in the health sector.

“Lagos is land-constrained, so we must maximize existing facilities. The Ministry of Health has graciously repurposed underutilized assets to expand medical education infrastructure,” he noted.

He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving health education. “Governor Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Hamzat have shown unwavering support for the health sector. This expansion will not only enhance learning for our students but also strengthen the entire healthcare delivery system in Lagos,” Sule remarked.

Sule stressed that Sanwo-Olu and his administration have consistently prioritized healthcare education, approving initiatives that enhance training institutions and hospitals.

“We are grateful for the government’s unwavering support. This expansion will ensure that our students receive world-class training in an environment equipped with the necessary facilities,” he added.

The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, stressed that the expansion project is crucial for securing accreditation from regulatory bodies.

“We recently increased our medical student intake to 200 in response to federal directives.

“However, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the Nursing Council require us to demonstrate sufficient infrastructure before granting full accreditation,” she explained.

“Just a few days ago, we were at the court of governors, discussing the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades to support increased student intake. The MDCN has mandated medical schools to double their intake, but accreditation is not automatic. This project ensures that we meet the regulatory requirements,” Olatunji-Bello added.

Olatunji-Bello acknowledged that the existing LASUCOM infrastructure was originally designed for 50 students per cohort, making expansion imperative. “With today’s handover, we are moving in the right direction. This will put us in a strong position to meet MDCN and NUC standards.”

She expressed confidence that the new facilities would help LASU meet accreditation standards. “With the support of the state government, we are in a strong position to expand our health programs sustainably. This initiative ensures we produce well-trained professionals to serve Lagos and beyond.”

The Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo, described the project as a long-overdue response to Lagos’ growing healthcare needs. “LASUTH plays a critical role in training medical students and postgraduate doctors. This expansion will ease the burden on our facilities and create an optimal learning environment,” he said.

Ms. Adenike Adekanbi, General Manager of LASIAMA, assured that her agency would ensure high-quality project execution. “We have engaged top-tier contractors with proven track records. Our mandate is to deliver world-class academic facilities on schedule and within budget.”

She reiterated LASIAMA’s commitment to maintaining infrastructure standards. “We will monitor progress rigorously to ensure these buildings meet the needs of future healthcare professionals in Lagos State.”

“The infrastructure expansion marks a significant milestone in Lagos State’s efforts to address the healthcare workforce gap. By repurposing existing facilities and strategically scaling up medical education, the initiative ensures that more students can be trained, ultimately strengthening the state’s healthcare system.

“With the strategic investment, Lagos is laying the groundwork for a robust healthcare workforce, ensuring a future where its residents have access to well-trained medical professionals,” Adekanbi stated.

(VANGUARD)

News

Former Vice Governor Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Bribery

Published

1 hour ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced Zhang Zulin, former vice governor of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, to life imprisonment for accepting bribes.

According to the verdict of the Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing Municipality, Zhang will deprived of his political rights for life; his personal property will be confiscated, and his illegal gains from bribery will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

The court found that Zhang had taken advantage of his positions in Yunnan between 2001 and 2023 to assist individuals and organisations in matters related to real estate development, project contracting, project approval, and obtaining loans.

The court stated that he accepted money and valuables worth more than 122 million yuan (approximately $ 17.03 million) in return.

Zhang’s case was presented to the court in an open trial on April 10.

News

Strike: NLC To Shutdown FCT After Tinubu’s Project Inaugurations Labour

Published

1 hour ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says it is mobilising to shut down the territory after President Bola Tinubu concludes his projects’ inauguration on July 3.

The Chairman, Dr Stephen Knabayi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Knabayi explained that the move was to draw the attention of the FCT Administration to address the area council workers’ lingering strike.

NAN reports that primary health care centres were under lock and key, primary school teachers had been at home while the six area councils’ secretariat were abandoned by the workers for months.

Primary school teachers and other area council workers embarked on a series of strikes over non-payment of minimum wage and 40 per cent peculiar allowance.

Other unresolved issues included the non-implementation of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, and the N35,000 wage award, among other benefits.

The NLC chair, who described the development as “very unfortunate”, said that the area council chairmen left the union with no option but to shut down the FCT.

He recalled that the union had on June 13, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration to address the demands of the teachers, health workers and other area council workers.

He explained that the ultimatum followed the resolution of the executives of the joint unions of the NUT, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees and the National Association of Health Workers Union.

He noted that the ultimatum had expired on June 20 and the NLC was yet to take any action.

Knabayi explained that the union backpedalled to allow President Bola Tinubu to complete the inauguration of projects executed by the FCT Administration, as part of activities to celebrate his second year in office.

“We had to extend the ultimatum because of Tinubu’s movements to inaugurate the FCT executed project.

“Members of the union will take over the streets of Abuja as soon as Tinubu concludes the inaugurations, hopefully on July 3.

“We are waiting for it to end and we will come together to step up our planned action,” he said.

He added that the NLC had already informed the FCT Administration and security agencies of the planned protest to shut down the territory as the last resort to press home their demands.

He said it was very unfortunate that up to this moment nothing has been done to address the lingering welfare cities in the area councils.

He noted that although the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage began across the six area councils in May, it was stopped the following month with no explanation to the workers.

“Like you know, strike or protest is always the last option, but we were left with no other opinion.

“We are not happy and it is not going to be a small thing if they don’t do the needful,” he said.

Knabayi alleged that the area council chairmen were spending huge resources in preparations for the 2016 February FCT Area Councils’ Election.

According to him, the funds being expended will be enough to settle all the workers’ outstanding entitlements.

He called on the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to take a more decisive action to compel the area council chairmen to settle the council workers welfare concerns.

Recall that Wike had made several efforts to resolve the crisis, including the recent release of N4.1 billion to the area councils to support the payment of minimum wage to the workers.

The minister had explained several times that primary school teachers and primary health care workers were under the purview of the area councils and not FCT Administration.

The NUT Chairman in FCT, Mr Abdullahi Shafa, during a protest on April 24, acknowledged Wike’s intervention to resolve the lingering strike, including the release of the N4.1 billion to the area councils to pay the striking teachers.

On their part, the chairmen of the area councils had in a press conference on May 13, urged the primary school teachers and other council workers to call off their ongoing strike.

Mr John Gabaya, Secretary of the FCT Chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, who addressed the journalists, particularly appealed to the primary school teachers to return to the classrooms.

Gabaya said that the appeal became necessary for the interest of the pupils while negotiation continues.
(NAN)

News

Senate Confirms Chairman, MD Of South-South Development Commission, Others

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

…Akpabio named Managing Director, 15 others confirmed; Kaura not cleared over screening no-show

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as Chairman of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).

Also confirmed was Usoro Offiong Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State as the Managing Director of the commission.

However, Tijani Yahaya Kaura, the nominee representing the North-West, was not cleared after failing to submit necessary documents and refusing to appear before the screening committee. The committee noted that the window remains open should he eventually present himself for the process.

The Senate also confirmed the following nominees as members of the SSDC board:

Rt. Hon. Larry Odey – Member, Cross River

Charles Zuofa – Member, Bayelsa

Dr. Nkereuwem Ebong – Member, Akwa Ibom

Engr. Chika Chinedu – Member, Rivers

Barr. Femi Oise – Member, Edo

Dr. Charles Sylvester Enukhowhate – Member, Delta

Tabitha Iliya Sallah – Member, North-East

Alh. Yusuf Rasaq Amao – Member, North-Central

Joseph Mmamal – Member, South-East

Hon. Bukonola Braimoh – Member, South-West

Confirmed executive directors include:

Hon. Marcus Nie Eji – Executive Director, Projects (Rivers)

Engr. Aganaba Preye Steven – Executive Director, Social and Human Capital Development (Bayelsa)

Dr. Timi Alari Ayibatonye – Executive Director, Corporate Services (Delta)

Hon. Joseph Ugheoke – Executive Director, Commercial and Environmental Development (Edo)

Amb. Sony Abang – Executive Director, Finance (Cross River)

The confirmations followed the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on South-South Development Commission, chaired by Senator Benson Konbowei (PDP, Bayelsa Central).

Presenting the report, Senator Konbowei stated: “That the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Committee on South-South Development Commission on the confirmation of the nomination for appointment as Chairman, Managing Director, and Members of the Board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).”

It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, last month, submitted the list of nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s request during plenary and referred it to the appropriate committee, which was tasked to report back within one week.