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), for use as its College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital.
The decision was reached at the State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and presided over by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, said the handover followed President Bola Tinubu’s approval for FUTA to establish a College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital.
He explained that the ceding of the Akure hospital complex to the Federal Government includes the transfer of staff, infrastructure, equipment, and liabilities.
All personnel of the facility, he noted, will be absorbed into FUTA Teaching Hospital.
“This development will not only strengthen healthcare delivery in the state but also position FUTA as a major hub for medical sciences in Nigeria,” Ajaka said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr. Leye Akinola, announced new policies designed to protect farmers from the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which bans agricultural products linked to deforested land.
According to him, the state has approved agroforestry practices in selected areas, while ensuring forest reserves remain intact. Farmers producing cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and rubber will operate under strict mapping and traceability systems to safeguard access to the EU market.
“By December 30, 2025, crops that cannot be traced to mapped farms risk rejection in Europe.
To protect livelihoods, the state will support mapping exercises and grant farmers the permits required to continue operations,” he said.
Akinola further disclosed that the council approved a review of tariffs across agricultural produce and timber value chains to align Ondo with other Southwest states under the DAWN Commission framework.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said each cabinet member has been directed to nominate one road project per local government area to promote grassroots development.
He stressed that the initiative is separate from the 2025 budget and is aimed at equitable intervention across all 18 LGAs.
In a related development, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Hamidu Takuro, announced the council’s ratification of the appointment of His Royal Highness Joseph Ilésanmí as the traditional ruler of Sosan, Akoko South-East Local Government Area.