It was an epoch making event as the Bayelsa Medical University held its 3^rd Matriculation Ceremony on Saturday 2^nd, July, 2022 at the Auditorium of the University.

 

The pursuit of “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” as postulated by Malcolm X an African-American Minister and Human Rights activist which rightly expresses the decision taken by the students of the BMU.

While giving his brief address, the Visitor of the University, Senator Douye Diri, Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dr. Gentle Emelah congratulated the matriculating students and applauded the Management, Staff and Students of BMU for the achievements recorded so far and encouraged everyone to work tirelessly towards making the university a citadel of excellence. He promised that the state government will continue to support and position the BMU to achieve its potential.

 

In his opening remark, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ebitimitula Nicholas Etebu, ably represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paingha Joe Alagoa welcomed all invited guests, staff and students, especially the Hon. Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah to the 3^rd Matriculation Ceremony despite their busy schedule.

 

 

He congratulated the students for earning their place in the various academic programmes in view of the limited number of places available for students.

 

 

The Vice Chancellor stated that history is being made in Bayelsa State as BMU admits 219 fresh students and 5 JUPEB students distributed into fifteen (15) academic programmes as follows: Medicine and Surgery (55), Optometry (18), Nursing Science (50), Dentistry (10), Physiotherapy (9), Medical Laboratory Science (33), Human Anatomy (17), Human Physiology (7), Public Health (7), Microbiology (15), Human Nutrition and Dietetics (1) and Community Health (2).It will be recalled that in July 2019, the NUC conducted a resource verification exercise that resulted in the approval of the aforementioned academic programmes.      

Prof. Etebu thanked the former Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Henry Seriake Dickson for having the vision and foresight to establish the Bayelsa Medical University in 2018. Thereafter, on 31^st January, 2018, BMU was recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the 48^th State University and the 170^th University in the Nigerian University System. He also noted that BMU is the 2^nd public Medical University in Nigeria.

He stated that the university was established to address two critical purposes;

1. To produce a new generation of highly trained professional clinicians and other medical and health scientists that will adequately cater for the health needs of Bayelsans, Nigerians and the world over.
   
   
2. To address the rising phenomenon of medical tourism engaged by Nigerians to foreign hospitals for the diagnosis and treatment of ailment which local medical facilities and personnel are unable to handle leading to enormous capital flight from the country

 

 

The Vice Chancellor encouraged the matriculating students to embrace academic integrity by learning and understanding the rules of engagement as stipulated in the status and regulations of the university. Further urged them to shun all forms of societal vices and examination malpractice so that their academic dreams will not be in vain.

 

He applauded the Governing Council under the leadership of erudite international scholar, Emeritus Prof. Nimi Dimpka Briggs (OON), Management, Senate and Staff of the BMU for steering the ship of academia in the right direction within two academic years of the establishment of the University.

 

Prof. Etebu enumerated the achievements of the University as followings; completion of the equipped modern state-of-the-art Laboratories for Physics/Electronics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, housing the department of Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and Medical Biochemistry. 72 new offices occupied by the Faculties of Sciences, Health Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dental Sciences and Basic Clinical Sciences. The foundation for the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences which include the component Laboratories have been laid and the CBT Centre is ready which will have 250 work stations. He further stated that the Clinical Skills Laboratory and Virtual Reality Learning Centre are ready and is awaiting equipments while the Institute of Foreign Languages and Bio0Medical Translations continues to wax stronger running Certificate and Diploma programmes in French, Chinese, Spanish, German and Russian. He added that the university created the Centre for Medical Education which is now recognized as the Institute of Medical Education headed by a Professor and has made it mandatory for every new Lecturer undergo a 4-Day Medical Education and Pedagogy Workshop. The institute plans to embark on postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education and MSc/PhD degree in Medical Education /Pedagogy.

 

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