The Ogun State Government has offered employment opportunities to 52 newly qualified nurses from Chrisland University, Abeokuta, urging them to remain in Nigeria and contribute to strengthening the country’s healthcare system.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, made the appeal on Thursday during the induction ceremony of the graduates into the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Represented by the Deputy Provost of the Ogun State College of Nursing Sciences, Abeokuta, Dr Omowunmi Awonuga, Coker said the government was ready to employ qualified nurses as part of efforts to address manpower shortages in the state’s health sector.
She acknowledged the critical role nurses play in delivering quality healthcare and assured health professionals of the government’s commitment to improving working conditions, staff welfare and opportunities for professional development.
Coker encouraged the newly inducted nurses to apply for available opportunities in Ogun, stressing that the state needed more skilled professionals to meet growing healthcare demands.
The Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Professor Oyedunni Sola Arulogun, also urged the graduates to remain in the country and use their knowledge to improve healthcare delivery.
She challenged them to speak up against unsafe medical practices and prioritise patients’ safety, noting that nurses must be prepared to question medical instructions when they believe a patient’s life could be at risk.
Arulogun emphasised that professional nursing requires critical thinking, compassion, integrity and the courage to advocate for patients.
Meanwhile, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr Ndagi Al-Hassan, represented by Nurse Eleanor Chinwe Nwaka, advised the graduates to maintain positive relationships with colleagues and mentors.
She encouraged them to accept corrections, learn from experienced professionals and use their internship period to translate their academic knowledge into safe clinical practice.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Professor Christiana Sowunmi, a former Dean of the School of Nursing Science at Babcock University, urged healthcare institutions to equip nurses with the resources and support needed to protect patients and themselves.
She highlighted common risks in healthcare settings, including medication errors, infections, diagnostic mistakes and unsafe clinical procedures.
The induction ceremony comes amid continuing concerns about the migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad, commonly known as the “Japa” trend, and its impact on staffing levels in hospitals.
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