Distinguished guests, revered faculty members, proud parents and guardians, and above all, our newly matriculating students,

It is with profound joy, pride and reverence that I welcome you to this historic gathering, the inaugural matriculation ceremony of the College of Nursing, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. This is not merely an academic formality; this is the birth of a legacy.

You, our dear matriculating students, are pioneers. You are the first to wear this badge, the first to walk this path, the first to give life to the vision that inspired the establishment of this institution. This privilege places upon you a dual mandate, the pride of precedence and the duty of standard-setting. You are to define the culture, protect the ethos, and build a foundation strong enough for generations yet unborn.

Let me begin by congratulating each one of you for successfully scaling the preliminary nursing examinations. Your success is not a stroke of luck, it is evidence of discipline, capacity, merit and belief in your own potential. You have earned your place in one of humanity’s most noble and impactful callings.

At ISTH, we do not merely graduate nurses; we cultivate caregivers, leaders and innovators who will define the future of healthcare in Nigeria and beyond. Nursing is more than a profession, it is a calling that marries intellect with compassion, skill with sacrifice, and science with service.

As Nelson Mandela reminded humanity, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” May that sentence accompany you through every lecture, every lab session, every patient encounter and every ethical decision. What you learn here will not only shape your competence, it will shape lives, and in shaping lives, you will shape society.

You are entering nursing at a profound time in history, a world that needs competent, compassionate, ethically grounded nurses more than ever. Whether you find yourself at a teaching hospital, in a rural outreach, in emergency response, in leadership, or in medical research, remember: nursing is the beating heart of healthcare.

To our pioneer students, your journey may bear unique challenges; do not resent them, embrace them. Pioneers by definition walk untrodden roads. Let your integrity lead, let your discipline sustain, and let your compassion humanize your practice. Lead, not just for yourselves, but for those who will come after you.

Permit me at this moment to register, on behalf of ISTH and the College of Nursing, our profound appreciation to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for his exemplary leadership and continuing support to our institution. We also extend sincere gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose commitment to health sector reforms and support for federal tertiary health institutions have enabled ISTH to expand capacity, strengthen training, and advance the mandate of producing world-class health professionals for Nigeria.

On behalf of the entire management and staff of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, I formally welcome you, our trailblazers into a community of learning, empathy and excellence. May your journey here be fruitful, transformative and historic.

Congratulations once again, pioneers and welcome to the College of Nursing, ISTH, where excellence in service truly begins.

Best wishes on your journey to excellence.

Prof. Reuben Agbons Eifediyi
Chief Medical Director
Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua