By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Lagos State Government has completed the expansion and renovation of the former CACOVID Centre at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, converting the once underutilised COVID-19 isolation facility into a functional infrastructure to support the expansion of medical education in the state.
The facility was formally handed over today to the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) at a ceremony attended by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Provost, LASUCOM, Prof. Olufemi Idowu; Medical Director, Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba, Dr. Adedeji Olusola; and Director, Project Monitoring Unit, Dr. Olusola Oduwoye, among other government officials and stakeholders.
The project was supervised by the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), which said the intervention was part of the state government’s broader strategy to optimise existing public infrastructure while new facilities are being developed.
Speaking on behalf of LASIAMA’s General Manager, Engr. Yemisi Aderibigbe, Head of the Agency’s Project Management Unit, said the CACOVID Centre was originally constructed in 2019 as an isolation facility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic but became under-utilised after the pandemic.
She explained that the decision to rehabilitate the facility was driven by the Lagos State Government’s plan to transform LASUCOM into a full-fledged University of Medicine and Health Sciences and significantly increase its student intake.
According to her, the planned expansion of LASUCOM’s intake from about 500 to 2,500 students by 2028 created an urgent need for additional infrastructure, particularly while the development of the institution’s permanent campus is ongoing.
She said the CACOVID Centre was consequently identified as one of the government facilities that could be repurposed to provide a short-term infrastructure solution.
The state government, she disclosed, approved the expansion and renovation of the centre in December 2024 and awarded the project to PCP Construction Nigeria Limited.
The scope of work, she noted, included demolition and site works, substructure and structural frames, roofing, walling, joinery, aluminium and metal works, fittings and finishes, as well as comprehensive mechanical and electrical installations for the main and ancillary buildings.
The contractor commenced work in March 2025 and completed the project under the supervision of LASIAMA.
Aderibigbe said the completed facility had met the approved standards and quality requirements, paving the way for its formal handover to the Ministry of Health and LASUCOM.
She said the intervention demonstrated the state’s commitment to making strategic use of existing infrastructure to address emerging needs in critical sectors, particularly health and medical education.
“Today, we are therefore formally handing over this facility to the end users, the Ministry of Health and the Lagos State University College of Medicine for optimal use,” she said.
She conveyed LASIAMA’s appreciation to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for his continued commitment to health and education infrastructure, while also acknowledging the support of the Commissioner for Health, the Provost of LASUCOM and the project contractor.
The formal handover marks another step in the state government’s efforts to expand infrastructure capacity for medical education and healthcare delivery, while ensuring that existing public assets are effectively repurposed and maintained for contemporary needs.
