Ninety four medical and dental graduates were formally inducted into their professions at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, as the Institution's Vice Chancellor used the occasion to warn the Federal Government that the continued exodus of skilled health workers poses a serious threat to Nigeria's healthcare system.

Professor Folasade Ogunsola, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Afolabi Lesi, called on government at all levels to invest deliberately in the healthcare workforce through improved welfare packages, better working conditions, modern facilities, and enhanced security to keep professionals in the country.

The 94 inductees comprised 79 graduates from the Faculty of Medical Sciences and 15 from the Faculty of Dental Sciences. The oath of allegiance was administered by the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Professor Fatima Kyari.

Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Professor Wasiu Adeyemo, urged the new graduates to complete their internship and postgraduate training in Nigeria. "We need them here. The Federal Government is releasing funds to teaching hospitals, and they should take advantage of the opportunities available in the country," he stated.

Professor Azeez Butali of the University of Iowa advised the inductees to seek mentors, remain intentional about their goals, and plan their finances carefully, noting that professional success depends as much on character, discipline, and relationships as on academic performance.

CMUL Provost Professor Ademola Oremosu urged the graduates to provide compassionate care while meeting the growing burden of communicable and non communicable diseases, listing hypertension, diabetes mellitus, oral cancer, and periodontal diseases among the conditions placing pressure on Nigeria's health system.

The ceremony also produced a standout story. Adenle Mubarak Adedeji emerged as the Overall Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Dental Sciences, winning 13 of the 16 available prizes, including the Provost's Prize and Dean's Prize for Best All Round Performance in Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

His path was anything but straightforward. After being offered Forestry at the University of Ibadan instead of Medicine, he sat for another Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and scored 292 to secure dentistry admission at UNILAG. His name was subsequently removed from the admission list, prompting his mother to travel to JAMB headquarters in Abuja to challenge the irregularity. Officials confirmed he qualified, and the admission was restored.

"I am grateful to God, grateful to my parents, and grateful to myself for not giving up. It has been a very long ride filled with challenges, but you just have to keep pushing," Adedeji said after the ceremony.