UNILORIN Inaugural Lecturer Urges Expansion of Nursing Workforce to Improve Patient Outcomes

Professor Simeon Kayode Olubiyi of the Department of Nursing Sciences, University of Ilorin, has called for a strategic increase in the production of professional nurses in Nigeria. He emphasized that a higher nurse-to-patient ratio is essential for delivering the compassionate and safe care necessary to improve national health indices.

Delivering the 300th Inaugural Lecture of the University on Thursday, April 9, 2026, titled “Care, Compassion and Capability: The Trifecta of Nursing Excellence,” Professor Olubiyi argued that the current workforce is overstretched. He noted that adequate staffing levels provide nurses with the necessary "time and space" to maintain the clinical standards and empathy required for effective patient recovery.

The lecture, held at the University Auditorium, highlighted the "trifecta" of care, compassion, and capability as the pillars of nursing excellence. Professor Olubiyi maintained that for these values to be fully realized, the government and educational institutions must deliberately expand training capacities to bridge the existing gap in the healthcare sector.

This landmark 300th lecture underscores the University of Ilorin’s continued leadership in academic discourse and its commitment to addressing critical challenges within the Nigerian healthcare system.