Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, has inducted 106 nursing graduands into the profession at the 16th Induction and Oath-Taking Ceremony of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, College of Health Sciences.
Held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Main Campus Auditorium, the ceremony was themed “Empowering Nurses: Exploring New Horizons and Transforming Healthcare.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Allen Aziba-Odumomsi Agih, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Jonah Akekere, congratulated the graduands and urged them to uphold professional ethics, serve with empathy and remain worthy ambassadors of the University.
The Acting Dean of the Faculty, Dr. (Mrs.) Helen Idubamo Wankasi, described the theme as timely, urging the new nurses to embrace evidence-based practice, research, leadership and emerging areas of healthcare. She appreciated the University Management, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), parents and faculty members for their support, noting that the Faculty also produced four PhD graduates during the year.
The Provost, College of Health Sciences, Prof. Israel Jeremiah, said the ceremony reaffirmed the graduands’ commitment to nursing ethics as they took the Florence Nightingale Pledge. He urged them to regard nursing as a calling to serve, heal and bring hope to humanity.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Khadijat Toyin Musah, Professor of Community-Public Health Nursing and Dean, Faculty of Nursing Sciences, Federal University Otuoke, challenged the new nurses to pursue excellence, embrace research and innovation, and explore emerging fields in healthcare. She highlighted Nuclear Nursing, Health Informatics and Oncology Nursing, while stressing the importance of competence, critical thinking and interprofessional collaboration.
The highlight of the ceremony was the administration of the professional oath by the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Al-Hassan Ndagi, represented by Dr. Gbonjubola Owolabi, Provost, College of Nursing, Ibadan.
The 106 graduands subsequently took the professional oath and were formally admitted into the nursing profession, marking the beginning of their professional careers.
