The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has handed over the site for a 161-bed medical students' hostel to Colton Construction Limited. The project, located at the Idi-Araba annex, was officially turned over on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor Folasade Ogunsola said the new hostel aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Renewal Hope Agenda and aims to boost medical training capacity. She noted that UNILAG currently produces about 150 doctors and 50 nurses annually—insufficient for a population of 226 million. "You can't train health care personnel without having a hostel close to a hospital," Ogunsola said, citing night calls and practical training needs.
The hostel will feature four beds per room, each with private bathrooms and toilets. Ogunsola said the facility could eventually double its capacity. Construction is expected within two years, though she hopes for completion in 18 months. Ogunsola emphasized that medical training requires more than exams—it demands safety, mentorship, labs, and infrastructure.
Collins Balogun, director and managing partner of Colton Construction Limited, said the project responds to a presidential directive to produce 20,000 doctors annually. The hostel design, based on a 3D model, supports this goal. Anthony Ajulo, another director at Colton, said timely approvals from university departments like procurement and accounting will be key to meeting deadlines. The company has worked on university projects in the North but this is its first at UNILAG. Provost Ademola Oremusi praised the federal government's intervention.
Folasade Ogunsola is acknowledging the real bottleneck in medical training: infrastructure, not ambition. With only 150 doctors and 50 nurses produced yearly at UNILAG, a 161-bed hostel won't close the gap, no matter how premium. If the goal is 20,000 doctors annually nationwide, this project is more symbol than solution. Without matching investments in faculty and clinical capacity, bedspace alone changes little.
