Lagos State is advancing two major healthcare infrastructure projects that are expected to significantly expand public hospital capacity and strengthen access to specialised medical services across the State.
The 280-bed Ojo General Hospital is now about 85 per cent complete and is expected to be ready for commissioning by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027, while construction of the new 180-bed Somolu General Hospital has reached approximately 15 per cent.
The progress of both projects came under review during an inspection tour led by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Dr. (Engr.) Adekunle Olayinka.
At Ojo, construction has moved into the finishing stage, with high-tech medical equipment and furniture already ordered ahead of the facility’s completion.
“We are at the point where we’re doing the finishing touches. We’ve ordered the high-tech equipment. We’ve ordered the furniture,” Abayomi said.
He explained that the government was addressing outstanding areas before completion and would increase the frequency of inspection visits to ensure that the hospital is delivered according to the required standards.
Olayinka confirmed that the project was about 85 per cent complete, adding that government quality assurance and control teams had identified minor areas requiring correction and communicated them to the contractor.
The hospital’s energy infrastructure is also being prepared for long-term operations. Olayinka said its solar installation meets the required specifications and will provide an alternative power source when the facility becomes operational.
The Somolu project is taking a different approach to healthcare delivery, with the new seven-floor hospital being developed as a specialist facility rather than simply an expanded version of the existing hospital.
Construction is taking place on the former Somolu Local Government headquarters site following the relocation of the council administration to another facility. The decision to construct an entirely new hospital was driven by the scale of demand in the area and the limitations of the existing 60-bed Somolu General Hospital.
Abayomi disclosed that about 107,000 registered patients currently access services at the existing facility, while its wider catchment population is estimated at between five million and 10 million people.
The existing hospital will continue providing uninterrupted clinical services while the new facility is being constructed. Once the 180-bed hospital is completed and operationalised, the old facility is expected to be demolished, with its site redeveloped for parking and other supporting services.
The new Somolu hospital is planned to become Lagos’ Head and Neck Super-Specialty Centre. Its specialist services will include Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology and Dentistry, alongside Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The designation is part of Lagos State’s strategy of developing selected general hospitals into centres of excellence with specific super-specialties. The objective is to increase access to advanced medical interventions within the State and reduce the need for residents to travel outside Nigeria for specialised treatment.
“Over the next five to ten 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.
The new hospital designs are also being shaped around environmental sustainability and operational efficiency. Abayomi said they incorporate renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, improved movement systems for patients and staff, water catchment, sewage management, and infection prevention and control measures.
According to Olayinka, the Somolu project encountered some challenges during its initial phase, but the identified issues have been resolved and construction is now progressing. Completion is targeted for the third quarter of 2027, with modern engineering systems, green technologies, carbon-reduction measures and solar power incorporated into the project.
The inspection involved officials from 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.
Beyond the construction of individual hospitals, the State is positioning the projects within a wider healthcare reform programme that includes healthcare financing reforms, compulsory health insurance and the proposed University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Together, these measures are intended to strengthen Lagos’ healthcare system, expand the availability of specialised treatment and create greater capacity for residents to access advanced care within Nigeria.
The long-term ambition is not only to serve Lagos’ growing population but also to strengthen the State’s position as a regional destination for specialised medical care, while reducing the flow of Nigerians seeking treatment abroad.
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