Zaria (Nigeria): Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria has announced that the Federal Government has approved a special intervention of N4 billion for the upgrade of facilities in the College of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.
Prof. Adamu Ahmed, the Vice-Chancellor, disclosed this during the induction ceremony of 81 newly qualified Doctors in Zaria on Monday.
Ahmed, represented by Prof. Raymond Bako, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics, stated that the intervention would help the university expand its current capacity in medical training programmes.
He stated that the university was seriously considering expanding the current capacity of its Medical School to accommodate more students.
According to him, the university has over 3,000 students who applied for MBBS, and the university’s quota for admission is 180.
“So, you can imagine the trouble and the headache in trying to admit 180 students from over 3,000 students,” Ahmed said.
He, therefore, congratulated the inductees for the ceremony while hoping that in the years to come, ABU would continue to graduate many more Medical Doctors.
In his remarks, Prof. Hamidu-Ahmed Umdagas, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), congratulated the graduating medical students.
The CMD, represented by Prof. M.M. Aminu, pledged that the hospital will continue to support the inductees in their clinical training.
The CMD urged the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to reserve Housemanship slots for all the graduates at ABUTH.
He stated that the hospital had approximately 160 placements and was prepared to accommodate nearly half of the new doctors.
Umdagas encouraged the graduates to embrace the compulsory one-year housemanship as a vital stage of supervised practice, before progressing to complete professional independence.
Similarly, the Chairman of the occasion and former Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Kabir Bala, urged the newly graduated doctors to uphold ethics, embrace continuous learning, and serve humanity with compassion.
Bala reminded the graduates that the medical field required empathy, critical thinking, and innovation.
He urged them to remain proud ambassadors of ABU and to make meaningful contributions to national and global health.
On his part, the Provost of the College, Prof. Mohammed Shehu, commended the graduates, revealing that they had been admitted under a 120-student quota.
According to him, the college was set to expand its intake to about 180, with” ministerial support in the near future”.
Shehu explained that the new doctors would now proceed to housemanship, a compulsory supervised training stage designed to prepare them for independent practice.
He emphasised that the exercise, overseen by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), equips young doctors with practical experience in the primary specialities of medicine.
Shehu further highlighted the ethical responsibilities of doctors, urging the graduates to study and adhere strictly to the Code of Medical Ethics.
“Medicine demands not only knowledge but also humility, honesty, and respect for patients. Communication with patients is as important as treatment itself,” he said.
Shehu also called on the graduates to give back to their families, guardians, and alma mater, while upholding the dignity and standards of the profession.
The event featured the administration of the ‘Sponsio Academica Oath’, reaffirming the graduates’ commitment to patient care, confidentiality, and professional conduct.