St Matthew’s Makes History: 103 Nurses Matriculate in First-Ever Class



In Eidenu, Irrua, a new nursing college is showing what private investment and serious intent can achieve.

History was made in Eidenu, Irrua, as St Matthew’s College of Nursing Sciences matriculated 103 students in its first-ever matriculation ceremony.

For a private, mono-disciplinary institution to attract such a number at inception is rare. Most new nursing colleges begin with 30 or 40 students. St Matthew’s started with a full house.

The Weight Behind the College

There is no doubt that the founder, Rt. Rev. Dr. Matthew Akhaze Okpebholo, leveraged his network and goodwill to support the institution's launch. The guest list read like a “who’s who” of Edo State’s education and health sectors.

Dr. Mrs. Onomen Briggs, President of the institution and Edo State Chairman of the Vocational and Technical Education Board, declared the ceremony open. Also in attendance were Engr. Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, former Vice-Chancellor of Edo University, Iyamho, and current Vice-Chancellor of Mudiame University, Irrua; Prof. G.B.S. Iyalomhe, former Provost of the College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; Prof. Andrew Eromosele and Prof. Osagie Ekhator, Deputy Vice-Chancellors at Ambrose Alli University; and Mrs. O. O. Agbebaku, Registrar of Ambrose Alli University.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). The health sector was equally well represented, with the presence of Dr. Wilson Ovienria, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH); Dr. Wilson Imogan, former Edo State Commissioner for Health; Mr. Peter Emionwele, Director of Nursing Services, Edo State; and Mr. Sunday Awiebo, representing the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

More Than a Ceremony

Prof. Ngozi Osunde, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, Wellspring University, delivered the matriculation lecture. However, the real statement lies beyond the ceremony itself.

The campus, its serene environment, and the caliber of its academic staff immediately distinguish St Matthew’s from many newly established institutions. This is not another glorified secondary school. It has been conceived, designed, and developed with the ambition and structure of a university from day one.

Why It Matters

  1. Fully Residential: Students live and learn in a controlled, focused environment that promotes discipline and academic excellence.

  2. Affordable: The institution is positioned as one of the more affordable private nursing colleges in Nigeria.

  3. Global Standard: Its facilities, academic vision, and training model are designed to compete with leading nursing schools around the world.

With admissions still ongoing, St Matthew’s College of Nursing Sciences is quickly becoming a compelling option for parents and students seeking quality nursing education without the disruptions of strikes, overcrowded classrooms, or inadequate facilities.

Eidenu, Irrua, now has a new heartbeat and it is wearing white.


Ambrose Odiase, FIPMA, MANUPA, MAUA (UK)
Founding Editor/Publisher
CampusDialog.blogspot.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to CampusDialog - Where Truth Enters the Ivory Tower

Image
For 36 years, I served inside the Nigerian university system - from Assistant Library Officer to Acting Registrar of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. I saw the files. I signed the queries. I enforced standards. I dismissed the guilty. I also watched honest people break under a system that too often rewards compromise over merit. When I retired in April 2025, I knew one thing: I could not retire from the fight for accountability in higher education. That is why I founded CampusDialog . Nigeria’s universities are in crisis. Our institutions rank poorly globally. Our graduates struggle in the labour market. Our research contributes little to national development. And every year, we repeat the same excuses. CampusDialog exists to challenge that cycle. This is not a gossip blog. It is a platform for truth, reform, and accountability. Here, we will expose systemic failures, explain how the university system truly works, spotlight excellence where it exists, and empower students,...
Read more

A Founder’s Manifesto: Why CampusDialog Must Exist

T he Fight I Could Not Retire From I retired in April 2025 But I did not retire from the fight. For 36 years, I served inside the Nigerian university system. I rose from Assistant Library Officer in the University Library to Executive Officer, where I climbed the ladder to the position of Principal Executive Officer 1.  A cadre in the registry often seen as that of a glorified clerk. Having realised this, I fought for conversion from the executive cadre to the Administrative cadre. From Senior Assistant Registrar to Deputy Registrar, I eventually became Acting Registrar of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, where I retired at the mandatory retirement age. I chaired SSANU AAU. I sat at the national table as a member of the FG/SSANU 2009 Renegotiation Team and served in the 6-Man Joint Secretariat of the renegotiation team. I was also Vice-Chairman of NLC Edo State. Professionally, I remained active, serving as Chairman of ANUPA  Association of Nigerian University Professional Adm...
Read more

PART 1- Private Universities Setting the Pace for Academic Excellence and Research Breakthrough: A Special Focus on ABUAD

In my last article, I exposed the rot in Nigerian ivory towers. The fraud. The indiscipline. The reason we never rank. Today, I show you the cure. While public universities decay under the weight of strikes, corruption, and abandoned research, one private university has done the impossible in 16 years: it beat them all. Its name is Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. ABUAD. And its story begins not in Ekpoma or Nsukka, but in Lagos. With a scandal. 1. Before ABUAD: The UNILAG “Surgical Operation” To understand ABUAD, you must understand why Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, OFR, built it. Between 2000 and 2008, Aare Afe Babalola served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Lagos. He met a university bleeding from within. Allegations were rife: selling of degrees by top UNILAG professors, examination misconduct, and gross financial mismanagement. In the UNILAG Senior Staff Club was an apartment called the "slaughter house," where female students were alleged...
Read more