The Bayelsa State Medical University is now to be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, according to the deputy registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Nnaemeka Nwakanma.
This follows the approval of the university’s medical programmes by way of the accreditation of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme at the state-owned university.
With this, the university can now take part in Part One of the MBBS examination. Nwakanma who led an 11-man delegation on a two-day inspection and accreditation visit to the university, disclosed this when the team visited the state governor, Senator Douye Diri in Yenagoa.
Nwakanma, who expressed satisfaction with the progress of the young medical institution, also stated that the MDCN had increased the MBBS admission quota per session from 50 to 100 students.
He commended the state government and the BMU for their efforts in raising the standard of the institution and urged the government to, among other requests, revive the BMU teaching hospital project, provide buses for the institution, continue to employ qualified manpower, build more laboratories as well as complete the satellite campus at Sampou.
Responding, Diri thanked the council for its dispassionate assessment of the institution and the administration, saying he was determined to fulfil the mandate of people of the state and assured that more projects will be executed in the university and that the issues raised by the council will be addressed before its next visit.
He said: “We thank you for the visit. We are encouraged by your kind words that will spur us to do more.
“I have listened to you and can assure you that the issues raised that need our attention will be attended to before your next visit.
“Let me also use this medium to again advocate for true federalism in Nigeria where states pay royalties to the federal government and not the way it is done currently where the centre determines what the states get. If federalism is properly practised, our state can do more for our people.”
