LAGOS University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has charged its 2025 graduating students to uphold excellence and commit to national service as the institution conferred certificates on 183 students from four specialised schools during its joint graduation and prize-giving ceremony.
The graduates were drawn from the Schools of Biomedical Engineering, Health Information Management, Medical and Psychiatry Social Work, and Community Health, marking another milestone in LUTH’s mandate to train health professionals for the country.
Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji, who represented the Chief Medical Director, said the four schools remain essential to Nigeria’s healthcare system across primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
He noted that despite manpower shortages driven by the ‘japa’ syndrome, the government’s support has enabled continued training.
According to him, although many health workers migrate, several trainees remain in the system and contribute significantly, adding that the LUTH-trained professionals often have an advantage because of their exposure to the institution’s clinical environment.
The keynote speaker and professor of ophthalmology at LUTH, Adeola Onakoya, urged the graduating students to embody excellence, integrity and empathy as they enter the health sector in dire need of manpower.
She lamented the impact of the japa trend but emphasised that Nigeria still offers meaningful opportunities for motivated practitioners.
Onakoya, therefore, encouraged the graduands to deploy innovation and hard work, noting that the institution had equipped them to compete globally.
Meanwhile, LUTH’s Deputy CMAC for Research and Training, Dr Rufus Ojewola, has described the ceremony as a fulfilment of the hospital’s core mandate of patient care, research and training.
Ojewola noted that the new graduates would support health facilities across Lagos, other states and rural communities, reinforcing the national workforce.
He, therefore, urged the government to address the japa challenge by improving remuneration and working conditions.
Valedictorian of the School of Health Information Management, Oluwabori Amusan, expressed gratitude to God for completing what she described as a demanding academic journey. She encouraged aspiring students to remain focused and determined regardless of their backgrounds. Amusan also commended LUTH’s leadership for maintaining a stable learning environment free from strike disruptions and urged parents and prospective students to consider enrolling in the programme, which she described as transformative.
