EKSUTH to induct 109 maiden nursing graduates

Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, will on Thursday induct its maiden set of 109 nursing graduates, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s efforts to strengthen healthcare manpower development in Ekiti State and Nigeria.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of EKSUTH, Professor Kayode Olabanji, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday ahead of the ceremony scheduled for October 22.

Olabanji said the induction would formally mark the completion of the first batch of students admitted into the institution’s upgraded College of Nursing Sciences in 2022.

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He explained that the institution upgraded its School of Nursing and School of Midwifery, established in 2001, to a College of Nursing Sciences in 2022 in compliance with the directive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).

According to him, the transition introduced a collegiate training system that combines nursing and midwifery education in a four-year programme leading to a Higher National Diploma (HND), alongside the requisite professional qualifications and licences.

He said graduates of the programme would be licensed in three core areas — general nursing, midwifery and public health nursing — after meeting the professional requirements stipulated by the relevant regulatory bodies.

The CMD described the induction as a crucial stage in the training of the graduates, noting that it would formally recognise their professional competence and readiness to begin the next phase of their careers.

He added that the graduates would proceed to a 12-month uninterrupted internship under the supervision of experienced professionals before participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Olabanji said the emergence of the first batch was a major achievement for EKSUTH and the Ekiti State Government, particularly against the backdrop of the shortage of healthcare professionals caused partly by the migration of Nigerian medical personnel abroad.

He noted that the college was established to help bridge the manpower gap in the health sector by producing qualified nursing professionals to meet the needs of the state and the country.

The CMD expressed appreciation to Governor Biodun Oyebanji for approving and supporting the upgrade of the institution’s nursing school to a College of Nursing Sciences, adding that the government’s intervention had helped sustain the institution and strengthen its capacity to train healthcare workers.

He also commended the college’s staff, particularly its leadership under the provost, Dr Olabisi Awe, for their commitment to the development of the institution.

Olabanji disclosed that the college had secured accreditation to train nurses in general nursing, midwifery and public health nursing, as well as provide post-basic training in specialised areas, including nephrology, mental health and ophthalmology.

He said the accreditations had positioned the college to contribute further to the development of specialised nursing manpower for the healthcare system.