After nearly two decades of delay, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has inducted 70 pioneer graduates of its Department of Nursing Sciences into the nursing profession — thanks to the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah.
The induction, held on Tuesday and officiated by the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Alhaji Alhassan Ndagi, marked the end of a seven-year wait caused by lack of accreditation.
The graduates, who began their studies in 2018, praised Governor Mbah for rescuing their academic and professional futures.
“Governor Mbah made our dreams come true after years of waiting,” one of the inductees said.
Another added, “We came in 2018 full of dreams, but by 2023, those dreams had turned into despair. But today, Dr. Peter Mbah has made those dreams come true. We are now nurses, and we are ready to serve.”
The event was described as both emotional and historic.
According to the Chairman of the occasion and Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Yomi Jaye, the journey to accreditation was tough but successful due to strong political will and strategic planning.
“At the beginning of this administration, we were saddled with the task of strengthening our nursing and medical education,” Jaye said.
“We carried out a baseline assessment… and discovered there was no accreditation for 19 years. We approached the NUC and the Nursing Council.”
“The governor backed us… and we worked alongside the university day and night. Guess what? They didn’t just accredit them. They also indexed the backlog.”
Jaye hailed the moment as “a manifestation of leadership with purpose”, adding: “The people who should have graduated years ago are today graduating with joy because one man made it possible — the governor.”
He also disclosed that ESUT’s nursing admission capacity had grown from 50 to 120 slots, with plans to expand further to 400.
The Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius Okorie, described the induction as a turning point, emphasizing the university’s rapid transformation under Mbah’s leadership.
“We’re seeing our teaching hospital becoming the best of its kind,” he said.
“Construction is ongoing, and we hope that once the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital is completed, we shall sign an MoU with them so our students can go there for their practical training.”
Prof. Okorie revealed that 90% of ESUT’s academic programmes are now accredited and praised the governor for the “innovative teaching methods and experiential learning models” introduced in the nursing programme.
In his remarks, the Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Uchenna Ekwochi, highlighted the government’s commitment to education, revealing that 33% of the state budget is currently allocated to the sector.
“This is leadership at its finest,” he declared. “It takes vision to invest heavily in education, and it takes love for the people to make it a priority.”
Alhaji Alhassan Ndagi, Registrar of NMCN, who conducted the induction and administered the oath, expressed satisfaction with the university’s commitment to excellence.
“I want to congratulate the Vice Chancellor and all members of the university management. You have done so well in grooming these graduands in both character and learning,” he said.
He charged the nurses to uphold professional ethics, show compassion, and maintain confidentiality in their practice.
