The College of Nursing Sciences, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), on Thursday, lAugust 27, 2026, held its maiden Induction/Oath-Taking Ceremony for the 2025/2026 academic session, formally inducting 90 pioneer graduates of its National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes into the nursing and midwifery professions.
City Business News reports that the historic ceremony, held at the TETFund Hall of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, marked a significant milestone in the evolution of nursing education at the institution.
The ceremony was hosted by the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Professor Idia Nibokun Ize-Iyamu, who congratulated the graduating students and described their induction as a defining milestone for both the inductees and the College.
Professor Ize-Iyamu noted that the ceremony represented not only the successful completion of the graduates’ academic and clinical training but also the beginning of their professional journey in one of the noblest professions known to humanity.
She charged the inductees to uphold the values of compassion, competence, integrity and selfless service, stressing that nurses occupy a position of enormous trust in society.
According to her, every patient encountered by the graduates would look to them not only for clinical expertise but also for empathy, reassurance, dignity and hope.
The Chief Medical Director also urged the graduates to embrace lifelong learning and remain adaptable to changes in the healthcare sector, particularly developments in digital health, artificial intelligence, telehealth, simulation-based learning and evidence-based practice.
She further reminded the inductees of their responsibility as ambassadors of the College of Nursing Sciences, UBTH, urging them to make excellence their hallmark, professionalism their identity, compassion their guide and integrity their legacy.
In her remarks, the Provost of the College, Mrs. Abieyuwa B. Eweka, reflected on the long history of nursing education at UBTH, tracing its roots to the School of Nursing, University of Benin, established in 1975.
She noted that for decades, the School of Nursing built a strong reputation for producing competent, disciplined and compassionate nurses who served with distinction in Nigeria and abroad.
According to her, the institution became synonymous with academic excellence, clinical competence and ethical nursing practice.
Mrs. Eweka said the transformation of the institution into the College of Nursing Sciences in 2022 opened a new chapter in that history, adding that the maiden induction of ND/HND graduates represented another major milestone in the evolution of nursing education at UBTH.
She described the inductees as the first ambassadors of the College, stressing that their names would remain permanently engraved in its history as the pioneer graduates inducted from the College of Nursing Sciences.
The Provost urged the graduates to recognise the responsibility attached to being pioneers, noting that their competence, professionalism, integrity and compassion would play an important role in shaping the perception of future employers, patients and communities about graduates of the College.
The induction and oath-taking ceremony was conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), represented by the Assistant Director and Head of Certification Unit, Mrs. Anunobi Patricia.
The event attracted distinguished guests and stakeholders in nursing education and healthcare, including Professor Mrs. Roslyn E. Esewe, pioneer Head of Department, Maternal and Child Health, University of Benin; Aweibo Sunday, representative of the NMCN; members of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM); and members of the UBTH community.
Also present were the Director, Clinical Services and Training, UBTH, Dr. Emmanuel Osaro Osaigbovo; Director of Administration, UBTH, Jim Uwadiae, Esq.; DCMAC, Clinical Services, UBTH, Dr. Osho Philip O; and Director of Nursing Services, UBTH, DNS Grace Arheghan, among other dignitaries.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of awards to outstanding graduating students in recognition of their academic performance, clinical competence, leadership and excellence in specific areas of nursing practice.
NANNM presented awards for outstanding performance in academics, clinical practice and leadership.
Paul Rita Chimaijem emerged Best in Academics and Overall Best Student, while Amos Benita was recognised as Best in Clinical Practice and Charles Prosper received the award for Best in Leadership.
Other awards included Best in Medical-Surgical Nursing, won by Paul Rita Chimaijem; Best in Public Health Nursing, awarded to Musa Ibrahim; and Best in Midwifery, also won by Paul Rita Chimaijem.
The recognition of the outstanding students further underscored the College’s commitment to academic excellence, professional competence, leadership and the development of well-rounded nursing professionals capable of contributing meaningfully to healthcare delivery.
The maiden Induction/Oath-Taking Ceremony therefore marked a historic turning point for the College of Nursing Sciences, UBTH, as its pioneer graduates formally joined the nursing and midwifery professions.
With their induction, the graduates carry forward the legacy of an institution with decades of commitment to nursing education, professional excellence and healthcare service, while opening a new chapter in the history of the College as it continues its mandate of producing competent, ethical and compassionate healthcare professionals for Nigeria and beyond.
