The Nigerian Senate has passed the bill for the establishment of a teaching hospital at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).
The bill, presented at plenary on Wednesday, was sponsored by Senator Adegbonmire Adeniyi, representing APC-Ondo. Senator Adeniyi explained that the bill aims to establish a teaching institute for FUTA. He highlighted that in 2010, the National University Commission approved FUTA’s Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) program, starting in 2020.
The Senator expressed concern over the lack of a teaching hospital for FUTA’s medical students. He noted that without it, these students could face difficulties in completing their clinical training. “The importance of having a teaching hospital cannot be overemphasized,” Senator Adeniyi stated, urging support for the bill. Currently, FUTA is negotiating with the Ondo State government for temporary use of the Akure General Hospital.
Senator Adeniyi emphasized the importance of training more medical personnel, given Nigeria’s growing population and ongoing brain drain. “We must take urgent steps to train more medical personnel,” he said, stressing the need for proper training. He also urged lawmakers to support the second reading of the bill to ensure FUTA’s medical students receive proper education.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, referred the bill to the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund. The committee will provide further legislative input and return the bill to plenary in four weeks.
