By Miss Emmanuella Ifediba
The College of Nursing Sciences, Adazi-Nnukwu, has held its Matriculation Ceremony for newly admitted students.
The event which took place on Saturday, 14 March 2026, at the school premises in Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State, had the theme, “Discipline, Integrity and Academic Excellence in Nursing Education”.
It began with a Holy Mass celebrated by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese and Proprietor of the College, Most. Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, who served as the chief celebrant alongside about 15 priests as co-celebrants.
At the beginning of the Mass, the Administrator of the College, Jude Igboka, welcomed the Bishop, the priests, and other guests; while the Acting Provost, Mrs. Mary Michael Ezenwuba, also acknowledged the presence of staff, students, and invited dignitaries.
In his homily, Bishop Ezeokafor congratulated the matriculating students, noting that after the rigorous admission process, they had been counted among the fortunate ones admitted into the institution. He explained that the Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated to seek divine guidance for both students and lecturers ahead of their new academic journey.
Reflecting on the Lenten season, the Bishop emphasized the importance of discipline, self-control, prayer, and perseverance, urging the students to cultivate those virtues not only during Lent but as a permanent part of their lives.
He further noted that the nursing profession required a high level of responsibility and precision because human health and life depended on it.
The Bishop also commended the Administrator and Management of the College for their efforts toward the growth and development of the institution, noting the significant improvements that had taken place in recent years.
After the Mass, the Bishop, priests and altar servers proceeded to the newly built facilities in the College for blessing which included a four-storey hostel with 119 rooms named in honour of the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor; a two-storey extended academic block with a supermarket; an industrial borehole with 14 one thousand gallons overhead tank; and the renaming of the renovated old hostel in honour of the immediate past Bishop of Awka Diocese, Bishop Simon A. Okafor.
After the Mass and the blessing of the new facilities, the formal Matriculation Ceremony began with the procession of the newly admitted students accompanied by members of the Academic and Administrative staff in their regalia.
The Acting Provost, Mrs. Mary-Michael Ezenwuba, delivered her address of welcome, highlighting the significance of the Matriculation as the official admittance of qualified students and the recognition of the College by the NUC, noting that this year marked the beginning of a new era as the first cohort of Bachelor of Nursing Sciences students, following the successful affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
She highlighted the College’s achievements to include the completion of the four-storey hostel block, completion of the two-storey academic block, revamping of the two old hostels, drilling of the new borehole and provision of 14 one thousand gallons overhead tank, provision of 100 kva generator and landscaping of the hostel environment. She also emphasized the College’s values, including zero tolerance for misconduct.
Mrs Ezenwuba appealed for support towards the College’s development such as the provision of Electronic Mannequin which costs 4.5 million naira; six hospital beds and mattresses; more library books and about 264 standard classroom seats costing N250, 000 each.
A highlight of the ceremony was a lecture on the theme, “Discipline, Integrity and Academic Excellence in Nursing Education”, delivered by Dr. chika Chioma Odira, Assistant Professor of Nursing Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
In her lecture, she described discipline as the ability to train oneself to follow rules and standards through self-control, consistency and perseverance, even when motivation was low.
She challenged the students to build a legacy rooted in discipline and integrity.
Following the lecture, the Matriculation Ceremony proceeded with the formal oath-taking of the newly admitted students. The students were presented by the Head of the Nursing Department, Mrs. Ogechukwu Nweke, who confirmed that the 120 students had met all the requirements for admission into the College. She thereafter presented them to the Acting Provost, Mrs. Mary-Michael Ezenwuba, who administered the Matriculation Oath of Allegiance to the College rules and regulations, formally admitting them into the College and marking the official beginning of their academic journey in nursing education.
In a separate interview, the Administrator of the College, Fr. Jude Igboka, described the newly admitted students as a special set, noting that they were the first cohort of Bachelor of Nursing Science students in the institution.
He encouraged the students to take their studies seriously, adding that the College had provided qualified lecturers and improved facilities to support their learning. He expressed confidence that with dedication and hard work, the students would make the institution proud.
Some of the students who spoke after the ceremony, Miss Cynthia Ezeokafor, Miss Regina Eze and Miss Gift Ikechi, expressed excitement about beginning their journey in nursing.
The ceremony marked the beginning of a new academic journey for the students as they embarked on their path toward becoming professional nurses committed to service, discipline and academic excellence.