McPherson University Wins Ogun State Florence Nightingale Essay Competition, Advances to South-West Zonal Round

McPherson University has emerged as the overall winner of the Florence Nightingale Essay Competition in Ogun State, organized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), and will now represent the state at the South-West zonal finals.

The competition, themed “Advancing Nursing Excellence through Evidence-Based Practice and Compassionate Leadership: Reflections on Florence Nightingale’s Enduring Vision,” promotes research, ethical practice, and compassionate leadership among nursing students. According to Mrs. Abiola Adefolaju, faculty lecturer and team lead, the essay contest had been discontinued for 10–15 years but was revived last year because of its significant educational value.

At the state-level competition held on January 29 in Abeokuta, ten schools and 30 contestants participated. Each institution submitted three top entries following departmental and external university screening, and McPherson University selected three students from an initial pool of seven. The contest included a five-round quiz covering nursing ethics, management, research, English, and administration, with the top five students advancing to the final essay presentation.

Samuel Ayebadiepriye Mary, a 500-level nursing student at McPherson University, won first place overall, while the university also performed strongly in both the essay and quiz segments. Other team members included Babalola Segun, Olajumoke Ogunleye, Abiodun Ayooluwa Deborah, and Edogun Uwagbale Dave, alongside two junior students who participated as observers to gain experience for future competitions.

The university expressed gratitude to God and supporters for the team’s success and has commenced preparations for the zonal round, with the date yet to be announced.

The event was co-funded by the Ogun State Ministry of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and attended by key stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Health, the Permanent Secretary, and the Director of Nursing Services.