By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
Okene, September 28, 2026
The Kogi State Government is expanding infrastructure around the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Teaching Hospital in Okene, with new accommodation for medical students and doctors emerging as part of the state’s push to strengthen clinical training and healthcare delivery.
Commissioners for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, and Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Taiye Abanika, inspected the students’ hostels and doctors’ quarters at the teaching hospital on Monday, assessing facilities designed to support medical education and hospital operations.
The inspection comes weeks after the Kogi State Executive Council approved additional hostel accommodation, furniture and doctors’ quarters at the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital to cater for students moving into the clinical phase of their training. The Bureau Journal previously reported the approval as part of a wider package of education, healthcare and infrastructure projects approved by the Ododo administration.
Why the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital Accommodation Matters
Speaking during the inspection, Fanwo described the development as an example of what he called “vision extension”, arguing that the transformation of the former Reference Hospital into the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital showed how projects could be sustained and expanded across successive administrations.
He recalled that the Reference Hospital was established by the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello, while the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has continued to expand the facility and provide additional infrastructure required for medical education and clinical services.
According to Fanwo, the development demonstrates the importance of maintaining projects that have the potential to serve residents beyond the administration that initiated them.
“What we are seeing here is continuity,” Fanwo said, stressing that the facilities would support both the students undergoing medical training and the doctors expected to provide services at the teaching hospital.
Medical Students Get Dedicated Accommodation Near Hospital
Fanwo expressed satisfaction with the standard of the students’ accommodation, pointing to the spacious rooms, reading areas, wardrobes, bathrooms and toilets provided within the facility.
He also highlighted the availability of solar power and internet connectivity, saying the infrastructure was designed to give medical students an environment conducive to serious academic work, study and research.
Students in the earlier stages of their programmes currently have accommodation at the CUSTECH campus in Osara. However, Fanwo explained that those moving into clinical training would require accommodation closer to the teaching hospital because of the nature of their academic and professional responsibilities.
The arrangement is intended to reduce the distance between students and their clinical training environment while providing them with a dedicated space for study outside hospital activities.
The development also fits into a wider expansion of specialised education infrastructure at CUSTECH. The university recently hosted the inauguration of Africa’s first renewable energy college in Kogi, another major investment in specialised technical and professional training.
Doctors’ Quarters Designed to Improve Emergency Response
The inspection also covered the doctors’ quarters located close to the teaching hospital.
Fanwo said the proximity of doctors to the hospital was important because medical emergencies often require prompt intervention and the availability of healthcare professionals beyond conventional working hours.
He linked the provision of suitable accommodation to the government’s broader objective of attracting and retaining qualified medical personnel in Kogi State.
According to him, improving the living and working environment for doctors can form part of the conditions required to make public healthcare institutions more attractive to professionals.
For a teaching hospital, the accommodation also has implications for clinical training because medical students require access to doctors, consultants and other healthcare professionals as they progress through practical components of their education.
Fanwo Links Project to Kogi’s Wider Education Investment
The Information Commissioner said the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital project was not an isolated intervention, but part of broader investments in education and healthcare infrastructure across Kogi State.
He cited ongoing developments at other institutions, including the Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital in Anyigba, as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen medical education and healthcare services.
The state’s tertiary education agenda has also featured discussions around research, innovation and infrastructure. The Bureau Journal recently reported on a North Central TETFund stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja where participants called for stronger investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and skills development.
Fanwo said the ultimate objective of the investment in medical education was to produce doctors capable of competing professionally within Nigeria and internationally.
He therefore urged medical students to take their studies seriously and justify the resources being committed to their education.
He also stressed that future administrations would have the responsibility of sustaining the investments and ensuring that facilities developed to strengthen medical education and healthcare delivery were not abandoned.
Abanika Inspects Facilities, Highlights Students’ Needs
Abanika, who conducted the inspection alongside Fanwo, also expressed satisfaction with the standard of the facilities.
He described the hostel as more than conventional student accommodation, drawing attention to the reading spaces, beds, wardrobes, bathrooms and toilets provided for the medical students.
According to him, the facilities were designed with the specific demands of medical education in mind, particularly for students undergoing clinical training at the teaching hospital.
He said the proximity of the accommodation to the hospital would provide students with a comfortable environment while keeping them close to the clinical setting where much of their practical training would take place.
The focus on purpose-built accommodation comes as Kogi continues to increase support for students across its tertiary institutions. The state government recently approved bursary payments for indigenous Kogi students studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Kogi’s Medical Training Push Comes Amid National Expansion
The development at CUSTECH also comes against the backdrop of a broader national push to expand medical training capacity.
The Federal Government recently announced plans to establish medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to improve practical training for doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Against that backdrop, facilities such as the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital become important components of the infrastructure required to move medical students from classroom-based learning into supervised clinical practice.
From Reference Hospital to Teaching Hospital
The evolution of the facility from the Reference Hospital into the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital is also significant because it brings healthcare delivery and medical education together in one institution.
Teaching hospitals serve a dual purpose: providing specialised healthcare while creating an environment where medical students and other healthcare trainees can gain practical experience under professional supervision.
For CUSTECH, the development of accommodation for students and doctors provides additional infrastructure around that clinical training model.
The challenge now will be to ensure that the physical facilities are matched by the equipment, specialist personnel, teaching resources and clinical opportunities needed to make the hospital a functional training environment.
Ododo Administration Highlights Continuity in Development
The inspection also provided the state government an opportunity to highlight continuity between the former and current administrations.
Fanwo’s remarks placed the current expansion of the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital within the history of the Reference Hospital established under the previous administration, while crediting the Ododo administration with extending the facility for its new role in medical education and clinical services.
The approach mirrors the government’s wider emphasis on continuing projects rather than treating infrastructure development as the preserve of individual administrations.
Recent decisions by the Kogi State Executive Council have covered education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, transportation and other sectors, reflecting the administration’s broad infrastructure programme. Among the approved projects was the expansion of accommodation at the CUSTECH Teaching Hospital for students and doctors.
What the New Facilities Mean for CUSTECH Students
For medical students entering clinical training, access to accommodation close to the teaching hospital could make a practical difference to their daily routines.
Clinical education often involves early rounds, practical sessions, emergency exposure and other activities that can extend beyond the conventional academic timetable. Having dedicated accommodation near the hospital can therefore reduce commuting demands and keep students within easier reach of their clinical environment.
The doctors’ quarters serve a related purpose by placing medical personnel closer to the facility where they work, potentially supporting quicker responses when their expertise is required.
Ultimately, however, the impact of the investment will depend on how effectively the infrastructure is integrated with teaching, clinical services, research and hospital management.
For Kogi State, the latest development represents another step in the effort to build an environment where medical education and healthcare delivery can operate together, while giving students and medical professionals facilities suited to their respective responsibilities.
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