Vice-Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, yesterday, expressed optimism that Nigeria’s healthcare system challenges are surmountable.

Ezemonye made the remarks during the institution’s 20th Oath-Taking and Induction Ceremony of its newly qualified medical doctors of the 2024/2025 session in Okada, Edo State, with a charge on the graduates to contribute their quota to the noble profession. 

The Vice-Chancellor said that the nation is brimming with brilliant medical minds, yet grappling with profound systemic challenges. 

According to him, Nigeria’s healthcare system stands at a critical crossroads.

He added that the realities of brain drain remain one of the major challenges in the health sector, among others, saying: “We face the stark realities of brain drain, where a significant number of our best and brightest are compelled to seek practice abroad.”

Ezemonye added that inadequate funding for public health infrastructure, inequitable access to quality care for the rural poor, and the lingering burden of preventable diseases were also affecting the nation’s healthcare delivery. 

While admonishing the inductees, Ezemonye said: “Dear graduates, we have trained you for leadership. We have equipped you not just with the knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology, but with the critical thinking, innovation, and resilience required to be architects of change.”

The don said that the call to salvage is not to single-handedly fix a broken system overnight, but to be a catalyst.

“It is a call to be a catalyst. Your first step is the most important one. It sets the direction for your entire career and defines the kind of doctor you choose to be,” Ezemonye said.