Lagos State Government has intensified monitoring of major healthcare infrastructure projects as the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital approaches completion, while construction of the new 180-bed Somolu General Hospital progresses, with the latter planned as a specialised centre for head and neck-related medical services.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this during an inspection tour of the two projects on Friday, said the Ojo facility was about 85 per cent complete and was expected to be ready for commissioning by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.
Abayomi, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Dr. (Engr.) Adekunle Olayinka, said the Ojo project had entered the finishing stage, with high-tech medical equipment and furniture already ordered. He added that inspection visits would now be conducted more frequently to ensure that the facility was completed to the required standards.
“We are at the point where we’re doing the finishing touches. We’ve ordered high-tech equipment. We’ve ordered the furniture,” the Commissioner said, stressing that the government was addressing outstanding areas of concern before completion.
At Somolu, the Commissioner inspected the foundation of the new seven-floor, 180-bed multi-specialist hospital, which is currently about 15 per cent complete. The project is being developed on the former Somolu Local Government headquarters site after the council administration relocated to another facility.
Abayomi explained that the decision to build a new hospital rather than expand the existing facility was driven by the size of its catchment population and the limitations of the current 60-bed hospital. He said the existing Somolu General Hospital would continue to provide uninterrupted clinical services while construction of the new facility proceeds.
“Instead of upgrading it, we decided to build a brand-new Somolu Hospital,” he said, noting that the existing hospital would eventually be demolished after the new facility is completed and operationalised, with its site redeveloped for parking and supporting services.
The Commissioner disclosed that the new Somolu hospital would be designated as a Head and Neck Super-Specialty Centre, offering Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology and Dentistry alongside the core specialities of Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
He said the specialisation plan formed part of the State’s broader strategy to transform its general hospitals into centres of excellence with designated super-specialities. According to him, the approach would expand access to advanced medical interventions and reduce the need for Lagos residents to seek specialised treatment outside the country.
“Over the next five to 10 years, we believe that every kind of medical intervention will be available in Lagos in both the public and the private sector, so that outbound medical tourism will stop, and in fact, it will reverse,” Abayomi said.
He added that the new hospital designs were incorporating renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, improved patient and staff movement, water catchment, sewage management and infection prevention and control measures. These, he said, were intended to make the facilities more sustainable, energy-efficient and safer for patients.
The Commissioner disclosed that about 107,000 registered patients currently access services at the Somolu facility, while its wider catchment area is estimated at between five and 10 million people, underscoring the need for a larger and more modern hospital.
Also speaking, Olayinka said the inspection at Ojo confirmed the project’s reported 85 per cent completion, while the government’s quality assurance and control teams had identified and communicated minor areas requiring correction by the contractor.
He said the solar installation at Ojo met the required specifications and would provide an important alternative power source when the hospital becomes operational. Olayinka added that the Somolu project, which had experienced some initial challenges, was now progressing after the identified issues were resolved.
According to him, the Somolu hospital is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2027, with modern engineering, green technologies, carbon-reduction measures and solar power incorporated into its design.
The inspection team included officials of the Ministry of Health’s Medical Project Implementation Unit, the Office of Works, the management of Somolu General Hospital, contractors and technical project management teams. The Commissioner said the infrastructure investments, combined with healthcare financing reforms, compulsory health insurance and the proposed University of Medicine and Health Sciences, would strengthen Lagos’ healthcare system and position the State as a regional destination for specialised medical care.