By Rose Sati, June 11, 2026
The Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology (FCMLST), Jos, Prof. Sunday Nkereuwem Etukudoh, has called on the Senate and the Federal Government to expedite action on a bill seeking the institution’s upgrade to a specialised university for Medical Laboratory Science.
Etukudoh appealed on Wednesday during a combined matriculation, orientation, graduation and send-off ceremony held at the college’s permanent site in Lamingo, Jos, Plateau State.
He said the institution has already attained the academic and infrastructural standards of a university and should be granted the status formally to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare and scientific research capacity.
According to him, the bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives, deserves urgent consideration by the Senate.
“The bill before the National Assembly is not bureaucracy. It is prophecy. Nigeria’s health security, youth development and scientific independence depend on it,” he said.
The provost linked many of Nigeria’s healthcare challenges to inadequate diagnostic capacity, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in the country’s health system.
Tracing the institution’s evolution from a unit under Hospital Services in 1954 to a full-fledged college in 2006, Etukudoh said FCMLST has developed facilities comparable to those of a university, including an ultra-modern auditorium, administrative and classroom complexes, an electronic library, diagnostic centres and research laboratories.
However, he expressed concern over the absence of on-campus student accommodation, revealing that students still reside at hostels located in Dogon Karfe, far from the permanent site.
“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,” he said.
The provost also urged students and professionals in the medical laboratory field to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI), describing it as the future of healthcare diagnostics and laboratory practice.
Delivering a lecture titled “Integrating AI into Public Health and Medical Laboratory Responses,” guest speaker Dr Obinna Nwankiti highlighted the growing role of technology in disease surveillance, diagnosis and healthcare delivery.
Etukudoh warned that professionals who fail to adapt to emerging technologies risk being left behind.
“AI will not replace the laboratory scientist. But the scientist who refuses AI will be replaced,” he stated.
The event also featured the recognition of retiring officers, including Deputy Provost Frederick Olowu and Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist Thomas Gonina, for their years of service to the institution.
FCMLST Jos currently awards National Diploma programmes under the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The institution was granted legal authority under the FCMLST Act 2022 to award degrees and doctoral qualifications once it attains university status.
