Lagos State Government has repurposed the former CACOVID Centre at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, into an academic facility for the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), as part of efforts to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in the state and boost medical education.

The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Tuesday at the handover ceremony of the newly expanded and renovated facility by the Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) to the Ministry of Health, saying the intervention was driven by the need to increase the production of healthcare professionals in the state.

Abayomi said Lagos was currently facing a human resources for health crisis due partly to the migration of healthcare professionals, popularly known as “Japa”, as well as insufficient local production of professionals to meet the needs of the growing population. He said the State Government was responding through a deliberate strategy of expanding training capacity and attracting professionals back to Nigeria.

According to him, the State’s strategy, tagged the “Brain Gain” initiative, would focus on producing more healthcare professionals locally while creating an enabling environment for those who had migrated abroad to return with the skills and experience acquired overseas. “While everyone talks about brain drain, Lagos State is focusing on brain gain,” he said.

The Commissioner disclosed that Lagos was targeting an increase in annual intake across various healthcare disciplines from fewer than 500 students to about 2,500 within the next four to five years. He explained that the strategy would involve maximising existing infrastructure across the State’s healthcare facilities, rather than relying solely on the development of new facilities.

Abayomi said the Ministry would decentralise medical training beyond LASUCOM and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) by leveraging large general hospitals and flagship primary healthcare facilities, while also encouraging private-sector participation. He noted that Lagos had about 30 general hospitals, more than 300 primary healthcare centres and 10 mother and child care centres that could support the expansion of health professional training.

He explained that the CACOVID Centre was selected for repurposing after the COVID-19 pandemic, having initially served as an isolation centre during the emergency. According to him, rather than allow the facility to become redundant and deteriorate, the Government transformed it into an annex of LASUCOM, with particular focus on supporting the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The Commissioner said the renovated facility would provide additional capacity for the six departments within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, adding that the project had created 315 additional laboratory positions, 520 lecture seats and approximately 169 seminar seats. He described the additions as significant investments towards strengthening the educational infrastructure required to produce more healthcare professionals.

He further disclosed that the State Government was pursuing the establishment of a standalone University of Medicine and Health Sciences as part of its broader plan to expand medical education. He said the legislative process had advanced, noting that the bill had been passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly and would be presented to the Governor for assent.

Abayomi said the initiative would also support the State’s effort to increase the number of pharmacists and other health professionals entering the healthcare system, stressing that the shortage of pharmacists remained a challenge in Lagos and Nigeria. He urged students who would use the facility to take ownership of it and ensure that the infrastructure was properly maintained for future generations.

Representing the General Manager of LASIAMA, Adenike Adekanbi, the Head of Project Team, Engr. Yemisi Aderibigbe, said the facility was originally constructed in 2019 as an isolation centre in response to the COVID-19 pandemic but became underutilised after the emergency. She said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the expansion and renovation works in December 2024, with Messrs. PCP Construction Nigeria Limited commencing work in March 2025 and completing the project to approved standards.

The Provost of LASUCOM, Prof. Olufemi Idowu, who recalled his previous service at the facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, described the transformation as a welcome development, saying the centre had deteriorated considerably after the pandemic. He expressed appreciation to the State Government for giving the facility a new purpose, while the Deputy Provost, Prof. Sunday Soyemi, said the intervention would address about 30 per cent of the institution’s space challenge and commended the Government and contractors for the project.

The Director, Medical Project Implementation Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusoga Oduwole, commended LASIAMA for successfully delivering the project, saying the upgraded facility would provide a more conducive environment for healthcare-related activities and service delivery. He said the development reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and thanked all stakeholders for their collaboration in completing the project.

The Executive Director, Projects, PCP Construction Limited, Mr. Yemi Yusuf, described the project as ambitious but expressed satisfaction that it had been successfully delivered, saying the modern facility would expand the capacity of the School of Pharmacy and LASUCOM.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, while formally handing over the facility for academic use, said the repurposing represented another step towards making Lagos a major centre for medical training, healthcare development and medical excellence.

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