By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has sealed Tower College of Health Sciences in Gberigbe, Ikorodu, for operating an unaccredited nursing program.
A joint enforcement team comprising officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Health (Directorate of Nursing Services), the Nursing and Midwifery Committee of Lagos State, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Lagos State branch, and operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) carried out the operation on Thursday.
During the exercise, the Director of the college, Femi Ajekigbe, was arrested and taken into custody for questioning and further legal action.
Speaking after the closure, Mrs. Sola Aketi, Director of Nursing Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, said the institution had been previously notified of the impending closure after an inspection in January 2025 exposed several irregularities.
According to her, the inspection team—led by Dr. Oladapo Olawale with Nurse Ilawole, Comrade Ayobami Amusan, and Comrade Idowu Osuntuyi—found that the college lacked basic academic and infrastructural requirements for nursing education and had no accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
“Tower College is one of several unaccredited institutions operating illegally in Lagos,” Aketi stated. “This closure takes immediate effect, and all nursing training and educational activities at the college must cease. The state will not tolerate any further operations of such unauthorized schools.”
She warned that illegal health training institutions pose serious risks to public safety and undermine the integrity of the healthcare system.
Dr. Olawale, who led the January inspection, noted in his report that the school lacked essential facilities, including a demonstration room, hospital affiliation for clinical postings, and hostel accommodation. Shockingly, he said, students were already in their 300 level without any clinical training or verification from the NMCN.
Following his recommendation for immediate closure, the Nursing and Midwifery Committee and the Lagos State Ministry of Health issued a formal closure notice dated February 20, 2025, citing non-compliance with accreditation standards, substandard training, and repeated disregard for warnings.
The premises have been sealed and placed under surveillance to prevent further unauthorized operations, with the government warning that any attempt to reopen the institution will attract legal consequences.
