Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State government has sealed Tower College of Health Sciences in Gberigbe, Ikorodu, for operating an illegal nursing program.
A joint enforcement team on Thursday, comprising officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health through the Directorate of Nursing Services (DNS), the Nursing and Midwifery Committee of Lagos State, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwife (NANNM), Lagos State branch, with men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), stormed the school premises to enforce the closure.
During the operation, the Director of the college, Femi Ajekigbe was arrested and has been taken into custody for questioning and further legal action by the State.
Speaking to journalists after the closure, Mrs Sola Aketi, the Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health noted that the institution had been notified of the imminent closure after an inspection team from the Nursing and Midwifery Committee of the state had earlier visited the institution in January 20, 2025, to assess its compliance with standards but several irregularities were uncovered.
According to her, the team led by Dr. Oladapo Olawale, alongside Nurse Ilawole, Comrade Ayobami Amusan and Comrade Idowu Osuntuyi reported that Tower College of Health Sciences failed to meet basic academic and infrastructural requirements for nursing education and consequently lacked accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN.
She confirmed that Tower College is just one of many unaccredited institutions operating in Lagos and vowed to extend the clampdown to other illegal nursing schools as the State will no longer condone such dangerous death traps.
Aketi said, “As a result of this closure, the illegal institution will cease all nursing training and educational activities with immediate effect.
“We have several of these schools across the state, and we will not stop until they are all shut down.
“Any further operation of the college is considered unauthorized and dangerous to the people of Ikorodu and Lagos in general,” she added.
She warned that activities of these unapproved health institutions are dangerous and inimical to the well-being of any society and weaken the state healthcare delivery system.
Dr. Olawale Oladapo, who led the team in January 20, 2025 had advised the Association and the state government that the school lacked basic requirements needed for accreditation and so included in his report the immediate closure of the illegal school for the safety of the people.
In his report, he observed that, “the school had no demonstration room, no hospital affiliation for clinical postings, and no hostel accommodation for students who shockingly were already in their 300 level without undergoing any clinical training and resource verification from the nursing council.
“The inspection committee, however, recommended the immediate closure of the school, withdrawal of all students, and also the licenses of individuals parading themselves as nursing tutors without approval,” Oladapo noted.
Following the report, the Nursing and Midwifery Committee of the State and the Lagos State Ministry of Health issued a formal closure notice dated 20th February 2025, signed by Dr. Olawale Oladapo, Secretary of the Committee.
The letter stated that the decision to close the institution was due to failure to meet the minimum standards for accreditation as outlined in NMCN regulations, non-compliance with repeated warnings to correct identified deficiencies and evidence of substandard training and education, posing risks to the health, safety, and wellbeing of students and the public.
The premises have since been sealed and placed under surveillance to prevent any further unauthorized operation of the college as contrary action will be considered unauthorized and may result in legal action.