St Matthew’s Royal College: Where Rural Nigeria Trains Nurses for the World


From Eidenu-Irrua to Europe and America: Rt. Rev. Dr. Matthew Akhaze Okpebholo has made private nursing education a global game changer.

After nine parts exposing the rot, it is time to spotlight a revival.


1. Location as an Advantage

St Matthew’s Royal College of Nursing Science is located in Eidenu-Irrua, a rural community in Edo State. No traffic. No chaos. Just a serene and conducive environment for learning.

In an age when city campuses battle noise, congestion, and insecurity, rural education is becoming the new elite standard.


2. Facilities That Put Many City Schools to Shame

The college's facilities are second to none:

  • Spacious classrooms : where students can breathe, think, and learn comfortably.

  • Well-equipped laboratories : science is not merely taught; it is practiced.

  • State-of-the-art Nursing Practical Bay : providing a real hospital environment for hands-on skills development.

  • Attached Specialist Teaching Hospital : enabling practical training and internships while students are still in school. Students do not have to wait until graduation before gaining clinical experience.

  • Qualified and professional lecturers and support staff : no quackery, no half-measures.

  • Fully residential campus : promoting safety, discipline, and academic focus.

  • Reliable electricity and water supply : basic necessities that many so-called "big" institutions still struggle to provide consistently.


3. The Founder’s Challenge

Rt. Rev. Dr. Matthew Akhaze Okpebholo, Founder of the institution, has challenged the public:

"Name any facility found in any College of Nursing Science anywhere in the world that is not available at St Matthew’s, and it will be added."

That is not mere boasting. It is a commitment to benchmarking against global standards from the heart of Eidenu-Irrua.


4. The Global Pipeline

St Matthew’s is not training nurses for Nigeria alone. The college has developed:

  • Linkage programmes with similar institutions in Europe and America - encouraging curriculum exchange, international exposure, and adherence to global standards.

  • Built-in facilities for qualifying examinations required for foreign nursing practice.

  • Training pathways designed for international employment — preparing graduates for opportunities beyond Nigeria.

  • Visa assistance programmes — helping to ease the travel process for qualified students and graduates.


CampusDialog Position: The New Destination Point

Let us make St Matthew’s Royal College of Nursing Science the destination of choice for candidates who aspire to build a career in Nursing Science.

Why?

Because the institution addresses three major challenges affecting Nigerian education:

1. Insecurity

A fully residential campus in a rural setting, with proper fencing, security, controlled access, and an attached Teaching Hospital. This is an environment designed for learning and safety.

2. Poor Training Standards

Qualified lecturers, global partnerships, practical laboratories, simulation facilities, and real hospital exposure. This is education driven by competence, not theory alone.

3. Graduate Unemployment

International examination preparation, visa assistance, and global opportunities create pathways that position graduates competitively in the labor market.


From "Stay Home" to "Go Abroad"

While security concerns have forced some schools in parts of the country to shut their gates, St Matthew’s is opening doors to global opportunities.

While some parents worry about access and safety, this institution is building pathways that can lead graduates to opportunities in London, Texas, Toronto, and beyond.

The same Nigeria that produced the tragedy of Chibok can also produce institutions such as St Matthew’s.

The choice before us is simple: decay or destination.

For Nursing Science, the answer may well be found in Eidenu-Irrua.


Admission Notice

St Matthew’s Royal College of Nursing Science, Eidenu-Irrua, founded by Rt. Rev. Dr. Matthew Akhaze Okpebholo, is currently admitting qualified candidates.

For those seeking nursing education that leads to meaningful career opportunities and global competitiveness, St Matthew’s presents a compelling option.


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

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