Ondo Govt Transfers UNIMED Teaching Hospital to FUTA for College of Medicine Project

The Ondo State Government has approved the transfer of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Teaching Hospital Complex in Akure to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) to serve as its College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital.

The decision was announced after a State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, explained that the Akure hospital complex would now be ceded to the Federal Government as FUTA’s primary medical sciences facility.

Ajaka noted that the move followed President Bola Tinubu’s approval for FUTA to establish a College of Medicine and a Teaching Hospital. He added that the handover would cover staff, infrastructure, equipment and liabilities, with all employees being absorbed into the FUTA Teaching Hospital under federal administration.

“This development will not only strengthen healthcare delivery in Ondo State but also advance FUTA’s ambition of becoming a leading centre for medical sciences in Nigeria,” Ajaka stated.

In the same briefing, Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr Leye Akinola, announced new measures approved to protect farmers from the impact of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which bans crops cultivated from deforested areas.

Akinola revealed that agroforestry practices would be introduced across selected forests while preserving reserved zones. He explained that cocoa, cashew, oil palm and rubber farmers would continue operations under strict mapping and traceability systems. “By December 30, 2025, any crop that cannot be traced to a mapped farm risks rejection at the EU market. To safeguard livelihoods, the state will support farm mapping and grant permits for continued operations,” he said.

The Council also approved a review of tariffs on agricultural produce and the timber value chain, aligning Ondo with other South-West states.

Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, further disclosed that each cabinet member has been directed to nominate a road project within their local government area to ensure equitable development across the state. “These roads are outside the 2025 budgeted projects. They are supplementary interventions to touch communities and enhance connectivity,” Ajanaku clarified.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Hamidu Takuro, confirmed that the Council ratified the appointment of Joseph Ilesanmi as the monarch of Sosan in Akoko South-East Local Government Area.