By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

No fewer than 128 graduates from the Osun State College of Health Technology (OSCO-HEALTH), Ilesa, have been formally inducted into the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN).

This marks a significant milestone in their journey as certified health professionals.

The induction ceremony, held at the college’s main auditorium, celebrated academic excellence while reaffirming the institution’s commitment to producing globally competitive and community-focused health practitioners.

In his address, the Provost of the College, Dr Lateef Olarewaju Raheem, commended the graduating students on their hard-earned success but urged them not to become complacent.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Let this achievement serve as a foundation for greater strides in your professional journey.”

Dr Raheem also revealed plans to upgrade the institution’s status and nomenclature from a College of Health Technology to a Polytechnic of Health and Management Sciences. He called on stakeholders, particularly distinguished sons and daughters of Ijesaland, to rally support for the transformation and development of the institution.

Administering the oath of professionalism, Dr Bashir Idris (Lifidin Jama’a), the Registrar of CHPRBN—represented by the board’s South-West Zonal Technical Officer, Mr Abayomi Great—described the induction as symbolic of a new era.

“This year’s induction is special, coming at a pivotal moment of bold transformation within the board. Your certificate is more than a licence—it is a call to ethical service and professional responsibility,” he told the inductees.

He urged the new practitioners to maintain the highest standards of conduct, emphasising integrity, compassion, and a deep sense of duty in their service to the public.

Also addressing the gathering, the Chairman of the Osun Chapter of the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Wale Adedapo, advocated for greater investment in Community Health Practitioners and the Primary Health Care (PHC) sector.

“A healthy population is the bedrock of any nation’s development,” he said, charging the inductees to be solution-driven and committed to community well-being.

Delivering the induction lecture, Mrs Teniola Oluwatosin Anuolwapo, Principal Coordinator of the Community Health Officers Programme at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, described community health as the backbone of Nigeria’s primary health care system.

She highlighted the versatile roles Community Health Practitioners play, from addressing social determinants of health to fostering grassroots engagement.

Mrs Teniola called for the modernisation of the training curriculum to include digital literacy and mobile health tools for data collection, diagnosis, and follow-up care, in line with global best practices.

In her remarks, Mrs Joyce Folasade Adebayo, Head of Department, praised the students for their perseverance and thanked the college leadership for its unwavering support.

The ceremony was a testament to the growing recognition of community health workers as the frontline defenders of public health, especially in underserved areas.