By Our Correspondent, Abuja

The Senate has passed the bill for the establishment of the Federal University of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology in Jos, Plateau State, in a move lawmakers say will strengthen Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity, improve healthcare delivery, and reduce dependence on treatment abroad.

The bill, which originated from the House of Representatives, received the concurrence of the Senate during plenary on Wednesday.

Lawmakers unanimously approved it while sitting as the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin.

According to a copy of the bill obtained by our correspondent, the proposed university “is expected to serve as a specialised institution for training medical laboratory scientists, advancing biomedical research and innovation, and producing skilled manpower to improve disease diagnosis and strengthen Nigeria’s health security.”

Presenting the legislation, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, urged support for the bill alongside two others, describing them as critical interventions in the country’s health and education sectors.

The House of Representatives had earlier passed the Jos university bill, noting that the specialized institution would improve access to quality healthcare by strengthening local diagnostic services and curbing the growing number of Nigerians travelling abroad for treatment.

Reacting to the Senate’s approval, the Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Jos, Prof. Sunday Etukudoh, described the development as a landmark for the country’s healthcare system.

“COVID-19 stripped us bare and whispered a truth we must never forget: A nation that cannot diagnose cannot defend itself,” he said.

“This is not bureaucracy. It is prophecy. Today, Nigeria has taken a bold step toward strengthening its health security, scientific independence and the future of medical laboratory education.”

Prof. Etukudoh urged the Federal Government to ensure the institution takes off without delay. 

“I call on the Federal Government to prioritise this university. Nigeria’s health security hangs on it. Nigeria’s youth’s destiny hangs on it. Nigeria’s scientific independence hangs on it,” he said.

Highlighting the institution’s readiness, the Provost said the permanent site already has an ultra-modern auditorium, two-storey administrative and classroom buildings, an e-library, and state-of-the-art diagnostic and research laboratories.

However, he lamented the lack of student accommodation. 

“We have built the classrooms of a university. We have raised the laboratories of a university. What remains is to build the home of a university. A university without hostels is a body without a heart,” he added.

Prof. Etukudoh also charged students to embrace Artificial Intelligence, noting that emerging technologies would reshape medical diagnostics globally.

The Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Jos, began as a training unit in 1954 under Nigeria’s Hospital Services and became a full-fledged federal college in 2006. It has trained thousands of medical laboratory scientists serving across the country.

The proposed upgrade comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to strengthen health workforce development, biomedical research, and disease surveillance following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health experts say weak diagnostic infrastructure and shortages of specialized personnel are major drivers of medical tourism, which costs Nigeria billions of dollars annually. Stakeholders believe the new university will help build indigenous expertise, promote research, and reduce reliance on foreign healthcare services.