The President of the Nigerian Association of Medical Educators (NASEM) and Executive Director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Education (FAMED), Prof. Onwudiegwu Uche, has declared that Nigeria’s healthcare sector needs the production of more competent medical personnel to salvage the system.
Prof. Uche made this remark at an academic conference known as the Colloquium, organised in honour of Prof. Uwale Eyesan, the former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. The event, held at the hospital on Tuesday, marked Prof. Eyesan’s official retirement at the age of 70.
According to Prof. Uche, Nigeria, given its population, needs approximately 280,000 medical doctors to meet the World Health Organisation’s recommended doctor-patient ratio. However, the country currently has only 35,000 doctors.
He appealed to the Nigerian government to address the push-and-pull factors responsible for brain drain in the healthcare sector, stressing that doing so would make the sector more viable.
Prof. Uche described Bowen University’s medical graduates as among the trusted hands the Nigerian healthcare system is proud of, noting that the university has taken the time to assemble highly experienced medical scientists and educators to train its students.
He also commended the Bowen University College of Health Sciences as a model for medical education in Nigeria.
In his lecture, titled Prerequisites and Innovation in Medical Education, Prof. Uche emphasised that a sound curriculum is the foundation upon which knowledgeable and competent healthcare professionals are trained.
He affirmed that a well-designed and properly implemented curriculum ensures high-quality training and produces competent healthcare providers capable of delivering effective services.
He further noted that medical educators must be trained in pedagogical principles, curriculum development, and assessment techniques with advanced psychometric properties. This, he said, would enable educators to effectively deliver the expected outcomes of the curriculum and equip them to act as coaches and facilitators, especially in adapting to the continuous innovations in medical education.
According to Prof. Uche, all medical educators must acquire training in pedagogical principles to enhance their effectiveness in producing quality healthcare professionals.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University, Prof. Jonathan Babalola, described Prof. Uwale Eyesan as a highly reputable academic whose contributions the institution and its teaching hospital will continue to honour.
He acknowledged that Prof. Eyesan has made significant contributions to the development of the teaching hospital and the College of Medicine. Babalola further noted that Prof. Eyesan’s teaching, research, and clinical expertise would remain invaluable to the university, stating, “He is a person of honour I will ever respect.”
The current Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Akintayo Ola-Olorun, affirmed that Prof. Eyesan’s services to both the hospital and the faculty are worthy of emulation. He commended the retired CMD for leaving indelible legacies within the institution.
Similarly, Prof. Oluwamuyiwa Ogunlaja and Dr. Yetunde of the teaching hospital described Prof. Eyesan as a distinguished academic and a surgeon of high repute. They noted that he has been a mentor and a source of inspiration to younger colleagues in teaching, research, and clinical practice at the hospital.
In his response, Prof. Eyesan, the newly elected Chairman of the Faculty of Orthopaedics at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, attributed his achievements at Bowen University to God and the teamwork of the university’s staff.
He praised the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babalola, as a highly skilled university administrator whose management expertise has fostered a conducive working environment for the university community.
Prof. Eyesan further acknowledged the university management’s substantial investment in the teaching hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences, which, he said, has significantly enhanced the growth and quality of the university’s medical science graduates since its inception.
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