Overview and History of Gerar University of Medical Science Imope Ijebu, Ogun State

 
In Nigeria’s evolving higher-education landscape, the emergence of specialized institutions dedicated solely to medical and allied health sciences is a welcome development. Gerar University of Medical Sciences (GUMED), located in Imope-Ijebu in Ogun State, offers such an opportunity — a university whose focus is not on the broadest possible range of programmes, but on excellence in health sciences and allied professions. For students drawn to careers in nursing, optometry, radiography, human nutrition, physiotherapy or medical laboratory science, GUMED represents a new kind of option: one that combines modern infrastructure, a focused mission and a serene campus environment with proximity to major urban centres of the southwest. What makes GUMED especially interesting is that it is set up on its permanent site from the outset — an indication that the founders intended to invest in proper facilities rather than begin in a “temporary campus”. The location in Imope-Ijebu also offers potential advantages: a setting slightly outside the hustle of major city centres, but still within accessible reach, which can provide an atmosphere conducive to serious study and health-science training. For prospective students this could mean better access to practical facilities, less congestion, and a community oriented to health-science education.

In this blog post, we will walk through the key features of GUMED: its official website, motto (or tagline), founder, history, chancellor (and leadership), accreditation and recognition, academic structure and facilities, campus life and facilities, and finally any notable alumni (recognising that as a very new institution the alumni base may still be emerging). My goal is to give you a clear, humanized, and thoroughly informative overview — whether you’re a prospective student, a parent, an educator, or simply someone interested in the development of private health-science universities in Nigeria.

##Official Website
The official website for GUMED is www.gumed.edu.ngOn the website you will find information about the university’s mission, programmes, faculties, admission requirements, contact information, and updates about the campus and new intake. The site highlights that GUMED is “a specialised institution established to run strictly Medical and Allied Health Science programmes.” 

##Motto
GUMED uses the tagline: “Building a Better World, One Student At a Time.” 

While this is not a classical short motto, it encapsulates the ethos of the university: the idea that by training one student at a time with care and quality, the institution contributes to a broader improvement in healthcare and society.

##Founder
The founder of GUMED is Dr Isaac Olugbenga Adegoke (also styled “Dr Isaac O. Adegoke”), who serves as the Proprietor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the university. 

Dr Adegoke’s vision is to establish a university that helps reduce Nigeria’s health-professional shortages, enhances healthcare training access, and contributes to national development by producing health-science graduates prepared for both Nigerian and global contexts.

##History
GUMED is a very recent addition to Nigeria’s university sector, but its formation reflects deliberate planning and strategic vision. The institution is listed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) among the private universities licensed in 2023, under the entry “Gerar University of Medical Sciences, Imope-Ijebu, Ogun State” with proprietor POGIL Group. 

On 9 June 2023, the university was officially licensed by the Federal Government through the NUC. 

The campus sits on approximately 100.343 hectares in Imope-Ijebu, Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State. 

From its website, the university states that it is “a specialised institution established to run strictly Medical and Allied Health Science programmes” and that one of its key goals is to become “a centre of excellence in scholarship … in response to the intellectual and other development needs of … Nigeria.” 

In May 2024, GUMED inaugurated its pioneer Chancellor, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, and Vice-Chancellor, Prof ‘Niran Adetoro. 

Admission for the 2024/2025 session has been opened, with Post-UTME screening noted for September 2024. 

Thus although the institution is in its early years, the foundation is already laid: permanent-site campus, NUC licensing, program take-off approval, leadership in place. This means prospective students are looking at a university in the early growth phase — offering a chance to be part of a foundational cohort, but also requiring careful review of facilities, accreditation status of individual programmes, and institutional culture that is still being formed.

##Chancellor
The Chancellor of GUMED is Dr Taiwo Afolabi, CON. He was appointed as the pioneer Chancellor of Gerar University of Medical Sciences in May 2024.

Brief Biography:
Dr Afolabi is the Chairman of the SIFAX Group of Companies, a conglomerate with interests in port management, shipping, aviation, oil & gas, haulage and logistics, financial services and hospitality.

In his inauguration speech, he emphasized his longstanding commitment to quality education and healthcare infrastructure, and his belief that training competent health-professionals in Nigeria is vital for national development. 

His appointment brings business experience, philanthropic orientation and national stature to GUMED’s leadership — which can help in mobilizing resources, forming partnerships, and maintaining visibility.

##Accreditation and Recognition
Accreditation and recognition are essential for evaluating any institution. In the case of GUMED:

The university is licensed by the NUC to operate as a private university, as evidenced in the June 2023 list of approved institutions. 

On its website, GUMED states: “Yes, all our programmes are approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).”

The fact that the university has its “nine take-off programmes” approved for Basic and Allied Health Sciences indicates that those initial programmes have gone through resource verification. 

Therefore, while the institution is recent and some programmes may still be in full accreditation review phases, the foundational regulatory approval is in place. Prospective students should still verify the accreditation status of their specific programme (nursing, physiotherapy, optometry, etc) at the time of application.


##Academic Structure and Facilities
GUMED is designed as a health-science-specialist university. Below are at least six notable aspects of its academic structure and facilities:

Faculties & Programmes

There are two main faculties: 

Faculty of Allied Health Sciences

Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. 


##Campus Life and Facilities
Campus life at GUMED promises to be both academically serious and supportive of student well-being. The university’s design and infrastructure indicate a residential or supportive learning environment rather than a purely commuter campus. Students can expect:

Living accommodation (hostels) and student services as part of the admission information.

Laboratories and practical training facilities as central components of the campus experience — important in health sciences where hands-on training matters.

A campus location that balances the quiet of Imope-Ijebu with accessibility to broader urban amenities, enabling both focused study and alternative recreation or internships.

Student-friendly ethos: The university emphasises “integrity, respect, and a commitment to excellence” in its welcome message to students. 

Administrative structures and student support: The site lists registrars, bursars, deans, etc, indicating that student welfare, academic planning and services are built in.

Opportunity to be part of a new institution: For first cohorts, there is often less overcrowding, more opportunity to make an impact, shape student clubs, and engage in the growth of institutional culture.