A state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Laboratory, fully equipped by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), was on Friday commissioned at the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa, with the goal of positioning the institution to align with global best practices in medical education, and “strengthening local capacity in Bayelsa State and Nigeria at large.”
Equipment provided include high-fidelity adult and pediatric patient simulators, laparoscopic training systems, obstetric trainers, advanced life support mannequins, consultation cubicles, and audio-visual learning systems, all of which the university authorities claimed would enable students to “learn, make mistakes, and perfect their life-saving skills in a zero-risk environment before they ever touch a human patient.”
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony at the Clinical Skills Acquisition Centre, BMU Main Campus, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said that capacity building is “not just about oil and gas; it is about ecosystems,” and that the industry does not operate in isolation. He listed health care, education, engineering, and logistics, among others, as sectors with linkage to the oil and gas industry.
He noted that “Simulation-based learning is now the global standard in medical education” and that it allows students to acquire hands-on clinical skills, improves decision-making, and builds confidence in a controlled safe environment before engaging the blue patient.
Represented by Mr. Ene Ette, Acting Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) of the Board, the Executive Secretary commended the Management of BMU and partner organisations for their collaboration, professionalism, and shared vision, pointing out that the upgraded laboratory is a strategic investment in human capacity and capital development and a practical demonstration of how policy can translate into measurable impact.
