In a move to expand medical education and strengthen healthcare delivery in Kwara State, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, in partnership with the Kwara state government, has commenced the development of infrastructure for its Teaching Hospital at Sobi Specialist Hospital.
The university on Tuesday, laid the foundation for blocks of classrooms and hostels at the facility, marking a major step towards providing the infrastructure required for the training of medical and nursing students.
The partnership followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Al-Hikmah University and the Kwara State Government on October 17, 2024.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Sekinat Yusuf, said the project would contribute to healthcare development in Kwara State and Nigeria while expanding access to medical education.
She described the foundation-laying ceremony as the fulfilment of a vision by the university’s founder, Dr Abdul-Raheem Oladimeji, to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Yusuf said the university remained committed to fulfilling its obligations under the MoU, adding that the Governing Council would provide the resources required for the early completion of the classroom and hostel blocks.
She also solicited continued support and cooperation from the state government towards achieving the objectives of the partnership.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Lateef Oladimeji, said the foundation-laying marked the beginning of the provision of critical infrastructure for the university’s Medical School.
He said the journey towards the commencement of the university’s MBBS programme began with the MoU signed with the Kwara State Ministry of Health in October 2024.
According to him, the state government’s approval of Sobi Specialist Hospital as the university’s teaching hospital provided the platform for the institution to advance its medical education programme.
Oladimeji said the proposed classroom and hostel blocks would serve medical and nursing students, adding that the university would soon commence the construction of teaching laboratories as part of the requirements of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
He said the additional facilities would complement existing infrastructure at the complex and help fast-track the university’s medical programmes.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the university had recruited teaching and non-teaching professionals for the Teaching Hospital to provide students with the academic instruction and practical training required for their professional development.
He expressed optimism that the university would invite parents and other stakeholders to witness the initiation and convocation ceremonies of its pioneer medical students by 2029.
The university’s founder, Dr Abdul-Raheem Oladimeji, also attended the ceremony.
Oladimeji was among the contractors involved in the construction of Sobi Specialist Hospital 43 years ago.
His return to the hospital premises decades after its construction coincided with the foundation-laying ceremony for infrastructure that will support the university’s medical education programme.
The development further deepens the partnership between the university and the Kwara State Government in medical training and healthcare delivery.
The Chairman of Council acknowledged the support of the state government, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders towards the project.
