Ogun State has offered employment to 52 newly qualified nurses who were inducted into the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the state's Commissioner for Health said on Thursday. Dr Tomi Coker appealed to the graduates of Chrisland University, Abeokuta to remain in Nigeria and help improve the country's healthcare sector rather than leave the country in search of better opportunities. Coker said the government recognises the critical role nurses play in delivering quality healthcare and is prepared to create an enabling environment for them to work effectively.
Speaking at the induction ceremony, Coker stated that the newly qualified nurses are entering the profession at a time of high demand and great expectations from society. She said they would need to demonstrate not only technical proficiency but also sound judgment, ethical integrity, emotional resilience and commitment to patient care. The commissioner emphasised the government's readiness to work with training institutions and professional bodies to strengthen nursing education and improve working conditions for all health workers.
The Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof Oyedunni Sola Arulogun, urged the inductees to speak up against unsafe medical practices and prioritise patient safety. She stressed that nurses must think critically and act responsibly rather than blindly follow medical instructions if they suspect a patient's life is at risk. Arulogun said nurses play a critical role because they are often the first to detect changes in patients' conditions and are closest to them during emergencies.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr Ndagi Al-Hassan, represented by Nurse Eleanor Chinwe Nwaka, urged the newly inducted nurses to maintain good relationships with mentors and other healthcare workers. Al-Hassan stressed that effective healthcare delivery depends on cooperation among all hospital team members, including support staff. The official also advised graduates to accept corrections from experienced colleagues and use their internship period to translate training knowledge into safe clinical practice.
A former Dean of the School of Nursing Science at Babcock University, Prof Christiana Sowunmi, delivered the keynote lecture and identified medication errors, healthcare-associated infections, diagnostic errors, patient falls and unsafe procedures as major sources of preventable harm. She urged inductees to question prescriptions that do not align with their pharmacology training and to take precautions against occupational hazards including infections, injuries from sharp instruments, workplace violence, fatigue and stress.