The Lagos State Government has completed the renovation and expansion of the former CACOVID Centre at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, repurposing the previously underutilised COVID-19 isolation facility to support medical education. The facility was formally handed over to the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Lagos State University College of Medicine as the government pursues plans to increase medical training capacity while development of the institution’s permanent campus continues.
The completed project converts infrastructure originally constructed as an isolation facility during the COVID-19 pandemic into a facility intended to meet current health-education needs. The formal handover was attended by Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi, LASUCOM Provost Prof. Olufemi Idowu, Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Medical Director Dr. Adedeji Olusola, and Director of the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency’s Project Monitoring Unit, Dr. Olusola Oduwoye, alongside other officials and stakeholders.
According to LASIAMA, the rehabilitation forms part of a broader government approach to making more effective use of existing public assets while new facilities are developed. The agency’s Head of Project Management Unit, Engr. Yemisi Aderibigbe, speaking on behalf of General Manager Engr. Yemisi Aderibigbe, explained that the former isolation centre had become underutilised after the pandemic. The state identified the site as an opportunity to provide additional infrastructure in the short term, rather than leaving the existing building outside active public-service use.
The intervention is linked to the state government’s ambition to transform LASUCOM into a full-fledged University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The report states that the institution’s planned student intake is expected to rise from about 500 to 2,500 by 2028. That expansion would substantially increase demand for teaching and supporting facilities while work on the permanent campus proceeds. The renovated centre is intended to help bridge part of that infrastructure requirement, although the announcement does not specify the exact number of students or programmes the facility itself will accommodate.
The government approved the project in December 2024 and awarded it to PCP Construction Nigeria Limited. Work commenced in March 2025 under LASIAMA’s supervision. The reported scope included demolition and site works, substructure and structural frames, roofing, walling, joinery, aluminium and metal works, fittings and finishes, as well as mechanical and electrical installations for the main and ancillary buildings. Aderibigbe said the completed works met the approved standards and quality requirements, enabling the handover to the intended users.
The transfer of the facility to the Ministry of Health and LASUCOM marks the transition from construction and rehabilitation to operational use. The government says the project will support medical education and healthcare delivery by bringing an existing public asset back into service for a new purpose. Its practical contribution will depend on how the receiving institutions equip, staff, maintain and integrate the facility into teaching and training activities as LASUCOM works toward its stated expansion target.