After nearly two decades of stagnation, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has finally inducted 70 pioneer nurses following the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s (NMCN) approval of the internship programme for the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu. This milestone breaks a 19-year jinx that prevented nursing students from being indexed and writing professional examinations to qualify as nurses.
The approval, announced by NMCN Registrar Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar during a delegation’s visit to Governor Peter Mbah at the Government House, also included the indexing of nursing students at the Colleges of Nursing and the recently upgraded College of Nursing in Awgu. Dr. Abubakar commended Governor Mbah’s administration for investing heavily in health infrastructure, welfare of health workers, and the implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which aims to retain nursing manpower in the state.
Governor Mbah, represented by Secretary to the State Government Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, expressed regret over the prolonged delay but affirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming the nursing sector through improved infrastructure, training, remuneration, and motivation. He emphasized that a robust health sector is critical to Enugu’s economic growth ambitions.
The approval allows for the immediate recruitment of 50 nursing interns at Parklane Teaching Hospital, significantly boosting the state’s nursing workforce. The induction of the 70 pioneer nurses marks a historic turning point for ESUT’s Department of Nursing, ending years of waiting and opening the path for future generations of qualified nurses to contribute to Nigeria’s healthcare system.
This breakthrough is expected to reduce the migration of nurses abroad (“japa syndrome”) by creating a conducive working environment and offering competitive salaries, thereby strengthening Enugu State’s health sector and improving service delivery across the region.