… VC Urges Graduates to Strengthen Public Health Systems
By Edward Oseghe
Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, has inducted 149 pharmacy graduates into the profession, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, urging them to play active roles in closing critical gaps in Nigeria’s public health system.
Prof. Ezemonye made the call in his opening address at the 15th Oath-Taking and Induction Ceremony of Pharmacy Graduates of the Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, held on Thursday in Okada.
Describing the inductees as reformers, innovators and leaders, the Vice-Chancellor charged them to apply their professional knowledge with a deep understanding of the human condition, noting that compassion must complement competence in pharmacy practice.
“Your ability to translate complex drug information into compassionate care will determine the quality of your impact.
“The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of pharmacists in public health, from vaccine distribution to patient education. It also revealed gaps in our systems—gaps that your generation must help close,” he said.
While congratulating the graduates, Prof. Ezemonye further urged them to build bridges between care and compassion, innovation and equity, and knowledge and kindness, adding that such values would not only advance the profession but also uplift humanity.
The Guest Speaker, Pharm. (Sir) Bankole Ezebuilo, in a lecture titled “Building Bridges and Raising Hope for the Next Generation of Compassionate Pharmacists,” encouraged the new pharmacists to see opportunities where others perceive limitations.
“If you build bridges, you will connect lives to healing; if you raise hope, you will change futures; and if you remain compassionate, you will redefine pharmacy for generations to come,” he said.
Also speaking, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ibrahim Ahmed, who was represented by the South-South Zonal Director, Pharm. Azeeh Mande, urged the inductees to uphold high ethical standards and demonstrate leadership in professional practice.
He stressed that strict compliance with the Code of Ethics was indispensable to the practice of pharmacy and essential for sustainable healthcare delivery in the country.
Highlights of the ceremony included the administration of the Oath to the inductees, presentation of provisional registration certificates, and the award of the PCN cash prize and certificate to the Best Graduating Student, Olowosoyo Glory Temitope.
