Oyelaran-Oyeyinka Unveils Bold Vision For LAUTECH Teaching Hospital

The newly appointed Chairman of the Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, has outlined an ambitious vision that links healthcare excellence with industrial and community transformation.

Speaking on his new role, the globally respected development economist emphasized that his focus extends beyond the hospital’s operations to advancing inclusive development, rural renewal, and industrial growth.

“For me, one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges is driving sustained economic growth by leveraging industrialization to transform our rural and peri-urban communities—areas we often overlook.

“Look at China: they lifted millions out of poverty by creating ‘transformation zones,’ training ordinary people with basic skills to produce low-tech goods like textiles and leather. My vision is to replicate that kind of change here—turning our peri-urban areas into productive hubs,” he said.

Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka explained that establishing world-class institutions such as LAUTECH Teaching Hospital outside major capitals reflects a broader development philosophy that prioritizes investment in second-tier regions.

“We must develop these areas, invest in infrastructure, and make them centers of innovation, industry, and opportunity,” he added.

His appointment, announced by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on October 9, 2025, underscores the state government’s commitment to strengthening governance and positioning the teaching hospital as a catalyst for innovation-driven healthcare and regional growth.

A First-Class graduate and best graduating student in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka holds advanced degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Sussex, UK, where he earned a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Development Economics.

He brings to the role a wealth of experience from over two decades in international development, having served as Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), where he led the US$1 billion Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative.

He also served as Director of the Regional Office for Africa at UN-HABITAT and as Senior Economic Adviser at UNCTAD.

According to him, the goal of his tenure is to make LAUTECH Teaching Hospital a world-class health and knowledge hub that also drives local enterprise, skill development, and industrial linkages.

“If we truly want to tackle poverty in Nigeria, we must focus on transforming our peri-urban and rural areas into centers of production and opportunity. Development cannot remain concentrated in big cities—progress must reach the places where most Nigerians live and work,” he said.

With this integrated vision, Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka’s leadership is expected to position LAUTECH Teaching Hospital as more than a center for medical excellence—one that will also serve as an engine for community transformation and inclusive economic growth.