UNIOSUN Inducts 90 Pioneer Medical Graduates, Urges To Resist ‘Japa’, Serve Nigeria

The Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has inducted its first 90 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) graduates, marking a historic breakthrough for the institution following years of challenges surrounding the accreditation of its medical programme.

The pioneering doctors took the professional oath on Wednesday at an induction ceremony attended by government officials, university management, medical professionals, parents, relatives and other stakeholders.

The milestone followed the university’s successful attainment of final accreditation for its MBBS programme from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on March 17, 2026.

Representing Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, the Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, commended the state government’s investment in the education and health sectors, saying both areas remained critical to the development of the state.

Eluwole said Osun had been recognised as the best state in the health sector in Nigeria for two consecutive years, 2024 and 2025, while highlighting various interventions by the Adeleke administration in the health sector.

According to him, the government had renovated 320 health centres across the state, with the facilities provided with electricity, water and other essential infrastructure.

He stressed the interdependence between education and healthcare, urging the newly inducted doctors to uphold the values of the Omoluabi and dedicate themselves to serving humanity.

“We can’t talk of health without education. Without education, there is no health. Health and education have to grow,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Professor Clement Adebooye, described the induction as a defining moment in the history of the university, recalling the difficulties that had confronted the institution’s medical programme.

Adebooye recalled that in December 2011, the then Osun State Government announced the cancellation of the MBBS programme because the state could not afford to establish a teaching hospital for the university.

He noted that the decision affected students who had already been admitted into the programme, while the medical school subsequently faced prolonged accreditation challenges.

The Vice-Chancellor said that when he assumed office on January 4, 2022, the programme still lacked substantive accreditation and was confronted by several challenges.

He disclosed that the difficulties became so overwhelming at a point that he considered proposing the cancellation of the medical programme to the university Senate.

Despite the challenges, however, Adebooye said his administration remained determined to revive the programme and ensure that it attained full accreditation.

He said the university secured its first clinical accreditation on July 2, 2024, following successful processing with the MDCN.

Adebooye added that the completion of the Modupe Alakija Medical Research Centre, donated to the university by the Alakija family, further strengthened the institution’s efforts towards securing full accreditation.

“Finally, with gratitude to Almighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we secured approval for the final accreditation of our Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme on 17 March 2026. And here we are today, celebrating the success as a university, as Osun indigenes and as Nigerians,” he said.

He congratulated the first and second sets of medical students, comprising the 2018 and 2019 sets, for successfully completing their training despite the challenges encountered along the way.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Akinyimika Omigbodun of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine urged the newly inducted doctors to make character, compassion and excellence the foundation of their professional careers.

Omigbodun, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, emphasised the importance of courage, compassion and confidence in medical practice, urging the doctors to remain committed to their patients even when confronted with difficult working conditions and limited resources.

“You must resolve to remain indomitable even when confronted with daunting odds. You must refuse to be subdued or defeated when it comes to doing what will preserve or restore the health of those under your care,” he said.

The Provost of the UNIOSUN College of Health Sciences, Professor Daniel Adekanle, also charged the new doctors to build their professional reputations on integrity, humility, respect and excellence.

Adekanle urged them to go beyond the treatment of illnesses by contributing to preventive medicine, medical research, healthcare system development and policies capable of improving the wellbeing of society.

The induction was conducted under the leadership of the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the MDCN, Professor Fatima Kyari, who was represented by the Council’s Deputy Registrar, Nnaemeka Nwakanma.

The 90 pioneering graduates subsequently took the professional oath, formally marking their entry into the medical profession and making them the first MBBS graduates produced by UNIOSUN.

The university also recognised outstanding academic performance at the ceremony, with Faridah Popoola emerging as the overall best student in the final MBBS examination.