By Ishola Balogun

The National Universities Commission, NUC, has approved Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, to commence Postgraduate Diploma, PGD, Master of Science, M.Sc., and Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., programmes in Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science.

The programmes will be offered at the university’s Amai Campus, with admission scheduled to commence immediately for the 2026/2027 academic session.

The approval was conveyed in a letter dated September 11, 2026, and signed by Abubakar M. Girei, Director, Academic Planning, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the NUC.

According to the letter, the approval followed a comprehensive resource verification exercise during which the university was adjudged to have met the requirements for the programmes in faculty, laboratories, library resources, clinical postings and research facilities.

Novena University, the first private university in Delta State, was licensed in 2005 to complement public universities in expanding access to professional education.

The university currently has full accreditation for its undergraduate Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science programmes, with its graduates inducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, and the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, MLSCN.

The institution has also expanded its health sciences programmes to include Nursing, B.N.Sc.; Medical Laboratory Science, BMLS; Medicine and Surgery, MBBS; Pharmacy, Pharm.D.; Optometry, O.D.; Public Health; Anatomy; Physiology; Biochemistry; and Pharmacology, alongside programmes in Law, Management and Natural Sciences.

Reacting to the approval, the Vice-Chancellor of Novena University, Prof. Godwin Chukuenweniwe Nduka, described it as a validation of the institution’s investment in healthcare education.

“We are deeply elated by this NUC approval. It is historic for us and a clear endorsement of our academic rigour, infrastructure and faculty depth,” Nduka said.

He said the approval would enable the university to train healthcare specialists, researchers, educators and consultants at advanced postgraduate levels.

“Our goal is not just to award higher degrees, but to produce problem-solvers for our nation’s health challenges,” he added.

Also speaking, the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Rev. Linus Ilogho, said the approval reflected the university’s institutional stability and compliance with regulatory standards.

“As someone who has served this university from its pioneering days, I can say this approval is the fruit of commitment, planning and unwavering adherence to NUC standards,” he said.

Ilogho said the new postgraduate programmes represented another milestone in the university’s development, adding that its governance structures and administrative systems were in place to ensure their effective operation.

The pioneer and incumbent Provost of the College of Medical and Health Sciences, Prof. Charles Ofili, said the approval would help address the shortage of postgraduate training opportunities for nurses and medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria.

“Nigeria loses many qualified nurses and laboratory scientists who travel abroad in search of postgraduate specialisation. Today, Novena University provides a credible home-grown alternative,” Ofili said.

He said the university had functional laboratories, simulation suites and affiliated teaching hospitals to support the new programmes.

According to him, the programmes would help produce professionals capable of leading departments, conducting research and improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care.

The Director of Protocols and Communications, Dr Emmanuel Odishika, said the approval had positioned the university to contribute to Nigeria’s human capital development.

“We are not just training for local hospitals; we are training for the world,” Odishika said.

He added that the postgraduate programmes would provide Nigerian health professionals with opportunities to advance their careers and assume leadership positions internationally.

The university management said its postgraduate school was already accepting enquiries for the 2026/2027 academic session and urged practising nurses, medical laboratory scientists and other health professionals seeking career advancement to apply.