Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has explained his administration’s huge investments and numerous interventions leading to the upgrade and accreditation of the Enugu State College of Nursing Sciences.
This was even as the College organised an orientation course for its 2024 intakes numbering a record 283, the highest in the history of the institution.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2024 set orientation programme held at ESUT Auditorium, Park Lane, Enugu at the weekend, Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Dr. Yomi Jaye, said that the upgrade of the institute to a collegial status would add massively to his vision to transform the health sector of the state and make Enugu State a health tourism hub.
According to Mbah, the institute, under his watch, was already witnessing unprecedented transformations both in terms of infrastructure and manpower as well as the hitherto elusive accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, in the bid to produce the best health practitioners both for the state and the world in general.
“We have put many things up to ensure that this school attains a collegial status. We have our National Board for Technical Education accreditation, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board accreditation, Federal Ministry of Health accreditation, and of course the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria acreditation.
“What this means is that we can play at a very big level, giving each student here a degree that fully covers Nursing, Midwifery, Public Health and Higher National Diploma once they graduate.
“We are working hard to ensure that this college is unique because we rely on you for our numerous healthcare facilities in the state. Therefore, you need to put in your best so that you can represent your school in any environment you may find yourselves tomorrow,” Mbah said.
Speaking earlier, the Acting Provost of the college, Dr. Peace Ani, commended the governor for the enormous work he is doing in the college, noting that many structures were currently ongoing both in the Enugu and Awgu campus simultaneously.
According to her, the orientation would expose the new students to the task ahead of them, urging them to work hard and be good health practitioners.
“Today, I am so happy because this is an epochmaking event where we welcomed the new set of 2024 students that will start their programmes in Nursing. This journey started in August when we received accreditation from the NBTE and Nursing Council.
“We started this orientation where the students were given an overview of the courses they would undertake for the next four years. They were taught by different kinds of people whom we invited to come and integrate them on what it takes to be a nurse,” the provost said.
A leadership teacher and founder of GOTNI Leadership Center, Dr. Linus Okorie, charged the students to be the best for themselves and the nursing profession, urging them to imbibe good behavioural patterns in order to make a difference and succeed in their career.
He further commended Governor Mbah for his massive infrastructural strides in Enugu State, insisting that a good environment plays a crucial role in learning.