No fewer than 150 graduates of Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) and Junior Community Health Extension Worker (JCHEW) programmes from the Osun State College of Health Technology (OSCO-Health), Ilesa, were on Tuesday inducted into the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN).
The induction ceremony, held at the college premises, highlighted the institution’s commitment to equipping students with the skills required to thrive in the community health sector while producing graduates grounded in leadership and professional competence.
Speaking at the event, the Provost of the college, Dr Lateef Olarewaju Raheem, urged the inductees not to rest on their laurels but to see the milestone as a foundation for greater accomplishments in community health practice. He was represented by the Deputy Provost, Mrs Margaret Oparinde.
He admonished the new practitioners to uphold professional ethics and standards at all times and to remain worthy ambassadors of the institution wherever they find themselves. He also urged them to view their licences as an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to humanity.
Administering the oath on the inductees, the Registrar of CHPRBN, Dr Bashir Idris (Lifidin Jama’a), charged them to commit to professional integrity, competence, accountability and service to humanity. He was represented by the Director, Institute of Community Health, Abuja, Dr (Mrs) Risikat Motunrayo Onawola.
Onawola advised the inductees to see ethics not as an abstract concept but as a daily responsibility reflected in confidentiality, respectful care, non-discrimination and adherence to their scope of practice.
“Competence is sustained through lifelong learning, evidence-based practice and adherence to national guidelines, including the National Standing Orders.
“As a statutory regulatory body, CHPRBN remains resolute in its mandate to set standards, accredit training institutions, conduct professional examinations, induct qualified graduates, enforce ethical conduct and promote continuous professional development.
“Our ongoing reforms, particularly in digital transformation, credential verification, professional examinations, CPD management and regulatory oversight, are designed to align Nigerian community health practice with international best practices while remaining responsive to local realities,” she said.
In a goodwill message, a former board member of CHPRBN, Comrade Olabisi Adewumi, called for greater empowerment of community health practitioners and sustainable primary healthcare for national development. He urged the inductees to work with the understanding that a healthy population is central to socio-economic progress.
Delivering the induction lecture, the guest lecturer, Dr (Mrs) Oluwatoyin Oladejo of the Department of Community Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, described community health as the backbone of the primary healthcare system. She encouraged the inductees to uphold fairness, equity, transparency and accountability in their professional conduct.
Also speaking, the Head of Department, Mrs Joyce Folasade Adebayo, congratulated the students for their resilience and dedication, while appreciating the management of the institution for its support to the department.
The ceremony also featured the induction of graduates from Seventh Day Adventist College of Health Technology, Ile-Ife; Adonis American College of Health Technology, Esa-Oke; Interlink College of Health Technology, Ijebu-Jesa; and Foreignlinks College of Health Technology, Moro.