The Ondo government has approved the transfer of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital complex to the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

The move will allow UNIMED to serve as FUTA’s College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital, following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for FUTA to establish the facility.

The decision was reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, held on Thursday, according to health commissioner Banji Ajaka.

Mr Aaja told journalists after the meeting in Akure that the move follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval for FUTA to establish a college of medicine and a teaching hospital.

Mr Ajaka said the hospital complex would be ceded to the federal government to serve as FUTA’s main medical sciences facility.

“The handover includes the transfer of staff infrastructure, equipment, and liabilities. All employees will be absorbed into FUTA Teaching Hospital under the Federal Government,” he disclosed.

The move would strengthen healthcare delivery in Ondo while advancing FUTA’s ambition to become a leading centre for medical sciences in Nigeria, the commissioner noted.

In a related development, the agric commissioner, Leye Akinola, has announced new measures to protect farmers from the impact of the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which bans crops cultivated from deforested areas.

Mr Akinola said the approved agroforestry practices cover selected forests and are designed to ensure that reserved areas remain intact.

“Cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and rubber farmers will be permitted to continue operations under strict mapping and traceability systems,” stated Mr Akinola. “By December 30, 2025, any crop that cannot be traced to a mapped farm risks being rejected at the EU market. To safeguard livelihoods, the state will support farm mapping and grant farmers permits to continue operations.”

The council also approved a review of tariffs across agricultural produce and timber value chains, aligning Ondo with other Southwest states under the DAWN Commission framework.