The Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr Tolani Sule, has stated that his ministry did not renovate any public secondary school library in 2025, contradicting the state's budget performance document which indicates that over N323 million was spent on such renovations.
Budget Discrepancy
During the ongoing 2026 ministerial press briefing marking the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's second term, the commissioner was questioned about the details of the 70 and 50 public school libraries that the budget performance report claimed his ministry had executed. In response, Sule clarified that no library renovation took place in 2025.
New University of Medicine and Health Sciences
The commissioner revealed that the state government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has advanced legislation to establish a new University of Medicine and Health Sciences. This institution aims to address the widening healthcare manpower deficit in Lagos and Nigeria.
According to Sule, the proposed university will significantly increase the training of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, helping to fill gaps created by the persistent migration of medical practitioners abroad. He stated, "Lagos requires far more healthcare professionals to match its rapidly growing population. The proposed university is a strategic response to bridge the gap and strengthen healthcare delivery."
Academic Calendar Stability
Sule noted that Lagos state-owned tertiary institutions have maintained uninterrupted academic calendars for over a decade, describing this achievement as evidence of the administration's commitment to stability and staff welfare.
International Collaborations and Digital Empowerment
In an effort to align education with global labour market realities, the commissioner spoke about expanded collaborations with international and private institutions. These include partnerships with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and PowerChina to strengthen technical and vocational education. He explained that these partnerships are expected to expose Lagos students to international best practices in engineering, renewable energy, vocational training, and applied technology.
The state government has also intensified digital empowerment programmes through the Eko Digital initiative and Job Initiative Lagos, where thousands of students received training in digital literacy, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence.
Rewarding Academic Excellence
As part of efforts to reward academic excellence, the commissioner announced that the Sanwo-Olu administration gifted Miss Isioma Sybil Nwosu N10 million as a reward for being the overall best graduating student of Lagos State University in the 2023/2024 academic session.
