Somolu Hospital To Become Head, Neck Super-Specialty Centre

Somolu Hospital To Become Head, Neck Super-Specialty Centre – Lagos
Ojo hospital hits 85% completion
Targets 2027 completion

The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to complete the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital and the new 180-bed Somolu General Hospital, with the two projects expected to add 460 beds to the state’s public healthcare capacity.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the two projects alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, and other officials.

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Abayomi said the Ojo General Hospital had reached about 85 per cent completion and was expected to be ready for commissioning by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

He said the project had entered its finishing stage, with high-tech medical equipment and furniture already ordered ahead of commissioning.

“We are at the point where we’re doing the finishing touches. We’ve ordered the high-tech equipment. We’ve ordered the furniture,” he said.

The commissioner said the government would intensify inspection visits to ensure that outstanding works were addressed and the facility delivered according to the required standards.

At Somolu, construction of the new 180-bed, seven-floor general hospital has reached about 15 per cent completion.

The facility is being built on the former Somolu Local Government headquarters site, while the existing 60-bed Somolu General Hospital will continue providing healthcare services until the new facility is completed.

Abayomi said the government opted to construct a new hospital because of the large population served by the existing facility and limitations associated with its current structure.

“Instead of upgrading it, we decided to build a brand-new Somolu Hospital,” he said.

Somolu Hospital To Become Head, Neck Super-Specialty Centre - Lagos

The existing hospital will eventually be demolished after the new facility becomes operational, with the site expected to be redeveloped for parking and other supporting services.

Beyond general healthcare services, the new Somolu hospital is being developed as a Head and Neck Super-Specialty Centre.

It will offer Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology and Dentistry, in addition to Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Abayomi said the specialisation was part of Lagos’ plan to transform selected general hospitals into centres of excellence with designated areas of super-specialisation.

He said the strategy would enable residents to access advanced medical treatment within the state rather than travelling abroad.

“Over the next five to 10 years, we believe that every kind of medical intervention will be available in Lagos in both the public and the private sector, so that outbound medical tourism will stop, and in fact, it will reverse,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the existing Somolu facility has about 107,000 registered patients, while its wider catchment population is estimated at between five million and 10 million people.

The two projects are also being developed with energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable features.

According to Abayomi, the designs include renewable energy systems, low-carbon technologies, water catchment systems, improved sewage management, enhanced patient and staff movement and stronger infection prevention and control measures.

Olayinka said the inspection confirmed the 85 per cent completion status of the Ojo project, although quality assurance teams identified some minor areas requiring correction.

He added that the solar installation at Ojo had met the required specifications and would provide an alternative power source when the hospital becomes operational.

On Somolu, Olayinka said initial challenges had been resolved and construction was progressing, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027.

He said the project would incorporate modern engineering systems, green technologies, carbon reduction measures and solar power.

The government said closer monitoring of both projects would continue to ensure that construction, equipment installation and quality control remain on schedule.