Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye, has urged the institution’s newly inducted medical doctors to resist the attraction of leaving Nigeria for opportunities abroad. Instead, he encouraged UNIOSUN medical graduates to contribute their skills to the country’s struggling healthcare system.
According to Vanguard, Adebooye gave the charge during UNIOSUN’s maiden MBBS induction ceremony in Osogbo. At the event, 90 UNIOSUN medical graduates were formally admitted into the medical profession.
Nigeria’s healthcare system needs doctors
Adebooye acknowledged that better opportunities abroad could be attractive to young Nigerian doctors. However, he appealed to the UNIOSUN medical graduates to consider the millions of Nigerians who still lack adequate medical care.
“Our healthcare system is bleeding, millions of your compatriots lack basic medical care, and the very nation that forged your resilience through thick and thin now looks to you for its survival,” he said.
The vice-chancellor urged the doctors to build their careers around clinical competence, empathy, integrity, professional ethics, resilience and effective communication.
He stressed that their training should extend beyond personal advancement. In addition, he asked them to focus on improving the lives of patients and strengthening healthcare delivery in the country. Furthermore, UNIOSUN medical graduates have a responsibility to inspire future cohorts.
UNIOSUN celebrates first 90 medical graduates
The induction marked a major milestone for UNIOSUN. The 90 inductees became the first Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery graduates produced by the institution.
The medical programme endured years of setbacks before eventually securing the approvals required to graduate doctors.
Adebooye recalled that the programme was cancelled in 2011. This followed after the state government said it could not afford to establish a teaching hospital for the university.
Some affected students were subsequently transferred to other programmes, while others completed their medical education elsewhere.
The programme was later revived. Subsequently, the university secured pre-clinical accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in 2022 and its first clinical accreditation in July 2024.
UNIOSUN eventually secured final approval for the MBBS programme in March 2026. This cleared the way for the pioneer graduates to complete their training.
Adeleke urges graduates to serve humanity
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke also congratulated the graduates. In addition, he praised the university management for overcoming the challenges that had affected the medical programme.
Represented at the ceremony by the state Commissioner for Education, the governor reminded the new doctors that medicine went beyond earning a living.
He urged them to see the profession as a service to humanity. He also encouraged them to treat patients with dignity, compassion and empathy.
The Provost of UNIOSUN’s College of Health Sciences, Professor Daniel Adekanle, similarly encouraged the doctors to uphold integrity, humility and excellence throughout their careers.
He also challenged them to contribute to preventive medicine, research and policies capable of improving Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Adebooye reflects on UNIOSUN medical journey
Adebooye described the graduation of the pioneer doctors as one of the defining achievements of his tenure. He also noted that the university had overcome years of uncertainty surrounding the programme.
He credited successive university administrations, the Osun State Government and other stakeholders with helping the institution secure the facilities and regulatory approvals necessary to train medical doctors.
For the graduates, however, his message centred on what comes next. This included using the medical education they have received to make an impact rather than viewing migration as the only path to professional success. Overall, UNIOSUN medical graduates are now positioned to make a significant difference.
