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).
The decision, made during the State Executive Council meeting yesterday, follows the approval by President Bola Tinubu for FUTA to establish a College of Medicine and a Teaching Hospital.
Banji Ajaka, the Commissioner for Health, stated that the Akure hospital will now be ceded to the Federal Government to serve as FUTA’s main medical sciences facility.
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This transfer includes all existing staff, infrastructure, equipment, and liabilities, with all current employees to be absorbed by the new FUTA Teaching Hospital.
The Council anticipates this move will strengthen healthcare services in Ondo State and bolster FUTA’s aspirations to become a leading medical institution.
In addition to the hospital transfer, the council announced significant policy changes for the agriculture and infrastructure sectors.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Leye Akinola, introduced measures to help farmers comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which bans crops from deforested areas.
The government has approved agroforestry practices in selected forests, while preserving reserved areas. Cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and rubber farmers will be allowed to continue their operations under a new system of mapping and traceability.
Akinola warned that by December 30, 2025, crops that cannot be traced to a mapped farm may be rejected by the EU market.
To mitigate this risk, the state government will assist with farm mapping and issue permits to farmers.
The council also approved a review of agricultural and timber tariffs to align the state with other states in the Southwest region.
The Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, announced a new initiative where each cabinet member will nominate a road project in their respective local government area.
He clarified that these projects are supplementary to the 2025 budget and are intended to ensure equitable development and improve connectivity across all 18 local government areas of the state.
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Furthermore, Hamidu Takuro, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, confirmed that the Council ratified the appointment of His Royal Highness Joseph Ilésanmí as the monarch of Sosan in the Akoko South-East Local Government Area.
