The Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, has recently established a tablet manufacturing facility designed for teaching, research, extemporaneous compounding, scale-up and industrial production of tablets in the College of Pharmacy.
The Vice-Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, disclosed this in his address on the occasion of the 14th induction and oath-taking ceremony of newly qualified medical laboratory science graduates on Tuesday, at the University library conference hall.
According to Ezemonye, “The facility is equipped with mixers, dryers and single punch tableting machine, 9-station computerized rotary scale-up tableting press machine, and industrial manufacturing equipment such as industrial hammer miller, cutter miller, planetary mixer, and two 36-station tableting machines.
“It has plain and IUO inscribed punches with 12mm, 10mm and 6mm dies for tablets such as Paracetamol, Vitamin C and Folic Acid, among others.”
Notably, all these are clear indicators of the university’s avowed commitment to academic excellence through the production of highly skilled future-ready graduates who can compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor further expressed, “As a mark of our passion for quality assurance, all the courses run in the University are fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and relevant professional bodies, including the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.”
While delivering her keynote lecture with the theme: Medical Laboratory Science Beyond the Diagnostic Bench: The Untapped Area of In-Vitro Fertilization, the guest speaker, Dr. Tunika Cleopatra George Oluyori, stated, “Nigeria has high rates of primary and secondary infertility. Nigerian-based gynecologists frequently report that infertility cases constitute between 50% and 70% of their consultations in tertiary health institutions.
“The results of the Demographic and Health Survey of Nigeria, indicate that approximately 4% of women aged 30 years and above have never given birth to a child. Medical advances have shown that most cases of infertility are treatable.
“According to available statistics based on the performance indicator from various centers across the country, it is estimated that over 40,000 babies have been born through IVF in Nigeria since 1989.”
Dr. Tunika said, “The first IVF birth in sub-Saharan Africa was led by the Dapo Ashiru and Giwa-Osagie team on March 17, 1989, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. According to Ashiru, Nigeria has recorded a 40% increase in IVF pregnancy success rate from 10% in the 70s to 50% in the 2010s.
“It is estimated that approximately 3.5 to 5 million children have been born worldwide following ART treatment. There are no accurate figures and proper documentation of success rates in many African countries, but in Nigeria, IVF has changed the prospect of thousands of married couples that were unable to have children.”
While delving into the fascinating realm of In-vitro Fertilization (IVF), a groundbreaking technique that has revolutionized the field of reproductive medicine, Dr. Tunika said, “Today, over 10 million babies have been born through IVF worldwide. The figure for Nigeria is an estimate close to 15,000 from well over 130 IVF clinics.”
Highlights of the ceremony include the reading and signing of the Code of Conduct by the inductees, administered by the Registrar, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Dr. Tosan Erhabor, who was represented by Dr. Godwin Aikpitanyi, and the presentation of provisional licence to practice as a medical laboratory scientist, logbook for intern medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory science council of Nigeria Vision and Mission statement and lapel pin to the inductees.
At the ceremony, a total of 79 Medical Laboratory Science graduates were inducted. The graduates recorded an unprecedented 100 percent success at the last Medical Laboratory Science Council professional examinations.
The Best Graduating Students include Oluwayomi Simisola Adenike, Overall Best Graduating Student; Oluwayomi Simisola Adenike, Best in Chemical Pathology; Agbedeyi Anita, Best in Medical Microbiology; Osamudiamen Orobosa Emmanuel, Best in Haematology and Dawodu Adekunle Jonathan, Best in Histopathology.
While specially congratulating the inductees for their resilience and hard work which culminated in the induction and oath-taking ceremony, Ezemonye said, “I hope that you will lift the IUO banner and be good ambassadors of your Alma mater wherever you may find yourselves.”
Ezemonye also commended parents and guardians of the graduates for their sacrifices in seeing their children and wards through the program, as well as congratulated and appreciated the Provost, College of Health Sciences, Dean School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Department of Medical Laboratory Science for turning out yet another batch of graduate Medical Laboratory Scientist.
“It is with gratitude to God that I bring you greetings from the Honourable Chancellor, His Excellency, Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, CFR, Esama of Benin Kingdom, the Governing Council and Senate on this auspicious occasion of the 14th Oath-Taking/Induction ceremony of the newly qualified Medical Laboratory Science graduates of Igbinedion University, Okada (IOU).
“In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Tosan Erhabor, the Registrar/CEO, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, as well as the Guest Speaker, Dr. Tunika Cleopatra George Oluyori, for honouring us with your esteemed presence,” Ezemonye remarked.
