…Don warns medical professionals: Embrace AI or risk losing relevance
By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Elizade University has recorded a major milestone in medical laboratory science education, with its graduating students achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in both the First and Final Professional Examinations of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), while eight graduates earned First Class honours.
The achievement was announced at the university’s third induction and oath-taking ceremony for newly qualified Medical Laboratory Scientists, where speakers urged the inductees to uphold professional ethics, maintain high standards of accuracy and contribute to improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The Acting Head of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Dr Folorunso Dada, described the 100 per cent success rate as a historic first for the programme.
He attributed the feat to the dedication of the students, the commitment of lecturers and clinical instructors, the support of the university management, and the sacrifices of parents and guardians.
According to him, the achievement was the product of years of rigorous academic work, practical sessions, laboratory demonstrations, clinical postings and research activities.
Dada urged the newly qualified scientists never to compromise laboratory results, stressing that every specimen represented a human life and that professional integrity must remain sacrosanct.
The Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Professor Mary Idowu Edward, congratulated the inductees and described Medical Laboratory Science as a cornerstone of modern medicine.
She noted that accurate laboratory results were essential for disease diagnosis, monitoring patients’ responses to treatment and supporting clinical decision-making.
Edward said society placed enormous trust in healthcare professionals, adding that medical laboratory scientists must sustain that confidence through diligence, competence and ethical conduct.
She also encouraged the inductees to embrace lifelong learning, particularly in emerging fields such as molecular diagnostics and artificial intelligence (AI), and to pursue further training to remain relevant in an evolving healthcare environment.
The guest speaker, Professor Olufemi Emmanuel Akanni of Osun State University, challenged the new professionals to uphold the highest standards of practice, identifying four key responsibilities: observing the ethics of the profession, adhering strictly to quality management systems and procedures, engaging in continuous professional development through training and retraining, and promoting the growth of Medical Laboratory Science wherever they practise.
Akanni emphasised that academic qualifications must be matched by professional competence, strict adherence to established standards and a commitment to advancing the profession.
Highlighting the growing relevance of artificial intelligence in medical laboratory practice, he urged the inductees to embrace the technology and understand its potential to improve efficiency and professional performance.
“Artificial Intelligence will not replace Medical Laboratory Scientists, but those who use AI will replace those who do not,” he said.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Dr Donald Ibe Ofili, represented at the ceremony by Mr Stanley Nkemakolam, acknowledged Elizade University’s achievements and affirmed the Council’s continued partnership with the institution.
He stressed the importance of responsible conduct, accountability and compliance with professional standards, reminding the inductees that public confidence in healthcare depended significantly on the reliability and integrity of laboratory services.
The Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Professor Philip Oguntunde, represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences, Professor Joseph Fabayo, also congratulated the graduates and commended the university’s staff, parents and regulatory authorities for their contributions to producing competent healthcare professionals.
Oguntunde urged the new scientists to uphold integrity, continually update their knowledge and serve as worthy ambassadors of the institution through excellence and service to humanity.
He noted that quality professional training remained vital to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly because laboratory accuracy played a critical role in diagnosis, disease surveillance and effective treatment.
Speaking on behalf of her graduating colleagues, the valedictorian, Miss Promise Itikpan, described the examination results and academic distinctions as a significant achievement, but emphasised that they also marked the beginning of a demanding professional journey.
She said accuracy, ethical conduct, continuous learning and commitment to human life would remain central to their practice, assuring that the newly inducted scientists were prepared to demonstrate their competence and justify the confidence reposed in them.
