The Ondo State government has handed over the Teaching Hospital of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
The teaching hospital complex, now renamed the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH), will serve as a medical education, training, and research center for FUTA students, as well as provide specialized care to patients.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Olayide Adelami, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka, signed on behalf of the state government, while Dr. Ali Pate, Minister of Health, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, signed on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, thanked President Bola Tinubu for establishing the teaching hospital in the town, saying that the town was the only state capital without such facility in the country.
Performing the official handing over and unveiling in Akure, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the state, who was represented by Adelami, said that his administration took the bold step to further deepen medical education and research in the country.
According to him, “The decision to hand over this hospital is rooted in a clear and strategic vision to elevate the standard of healthcare for every citizen of Ondo State and the country as a whole.
“By handing over this asset to the Federal Government of Nigeria, we are effectively unlocking a stream of superior funding, advanced equipment procurement, specialised personnel recruitment, and robust inclusion in national and international research networks.”
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for prioritizing the health and well-being of Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He assured the staff of the institution of a seamless transition to the new management, saying the teaching hospital will thrive globally in medical education under the watch of the federal government.
In his address, Pate, said the new federal government-owned teaching hospital will transform the health landscape of Ondo state and Nigeria in terms of training, research, and services.
“It is with deep humility that I come here, with the delegated authority of my boss, President Bola Tinubu, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), transferring the UNIMED Teaching Hospital to become the new Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital,” he said.
