The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) is set to record a historic milestone on Thursday as its Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences hosts the induction of its first cohort of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) graduates.
The induction and oath-taking ceremony, scheduled to hold at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium, UNN, will be conducted by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Briefing journalists in Nsukka ahead of the event, the Dean of the Faculty, Chukwuemeka Nworu, described the ceremony as a landmark in the Faculty’s history. He disclosed that the oath of professional allegiance would be administered by the PCN Registrar, Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed.
“For decades, we graduated students with the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree. This is the first time we are inducting Doctor of Pharmacy graduates as a first professional degree,” Nworu said.
He explained that the Pharm D programme was introduced following approval by the National Universities Commission, which directed universities to transition from the five-year B.Pharm to a six-year, clinically oriented Pharm D curriculum. According to him, the new programme is more rigorous and better aligned with global standards.
Nworu noted that the Pharm D qualification enhances international mobility, positioning graduates more competitively for practice opportunities in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada, where holders of the former B.Pharm degree often require additional conversion training.
He clarified, however, that the Pharm D remains a first professional degree, after which graduates may pursue postgraduate studies, including Master’s and PhD programmes.
The Dean, who assumed office in August 2024, also highlighted a series of infrastructural and administrative reforms undertaken under his leadership.
He revealed that upon taking office, the Faculty’s main complex—housing laboratories, lecture rooms and offices—lacked running water, posing significant challenges for laboratory work. An industrial-scale borehole has since been drilled, with water reticulated across laboratories, offices, toilets and classrooms, and extended to older renovated buildings.
The borehole now supplies water not only to the Faculty but also to neighbouring faculties and members of the wider university community at no cost. Nworu acknowledged the support of alumnus Pharm. A.C. Igwesiobi and the University of Nigeria Pharmacists Alumni Association in North America for funding the project.
Other improvements include the renovation of two old fabricated buildings to provide additional office space, installation of tiled floors, replacement of doors and windows, block partitioning, repainting and landscaping.
Internet connectivity has also been installed across the Faculty, providing free access to staff and students. Additionally, the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centre has been upgraded with over 120 new laptops, largely funded through alumni contributions.
The Faculty has further introduced a students’ record database management portal, replacing the former manual and handwritten result system to ensure easier tracking, storage and retrieval of academic records.
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