The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has commended Mercy Medical University, Iwo, Osun State, for its reported institutional growth while emphasising the need to sustain academic excellence, protect students’ welfare and meet programme accreditation requirements.

The commendation came during a courtesy visit and institutional engagement led by the NANS Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode (BILLIONCODES), on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The delegation comprised Comrade Yekeen Rokeeb Oyewole, National Vice President of the National Association of Colleges of Education Students; Comrade Ogunniran Tunde Olamide, Director of Sports, NANS JCC Osun Axis, representing the Osun State leadership; Comrade Abdulakeem Jamiu Olanrewaju, Student Union President of the Federal College of Education, Iwo, alongside members of his executive council; and other directors of NANS Southwest.

Addressing the university management, Comrade Adeyemo praised the institution’s development within approximately three years of its establishment in 2023. He noted that establishing and sustaining a university, particularly one focused on medical and health-related disciplines, required significant investment, sound administration and a strong commitment to regulatory compliance.

He maintained that NANS’ responsibility to Nigerian students was not limited by institutional ownership, stressing that students in private universities deserved the same attention to welfare, academic progress and educational opportunities as their counterparts in public institutions.

The coordinator also explained that the association’s engagements with tertiary institutions were intended to encourage progress, identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen cooperation between management and student leadership.

In his response, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Muhammed Ibrahim Sule, welcomed the delegation and outlined the university’s academic expansion and operational structure.

He disclosed that the institution started with eight academic programmes before obtaining approval for four additional programmes the following year. He also discussed its engagement with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the development of its campuses in Iwo, Telemu, Asamu and Osogbo.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the university’s teaching hospital in Osogbo has a 250-bed capacity, supporting its focus on clinical training and health education.

On student welfare and representation, Professor Sule said the university had established faculty-level representative structures through which students could participate in meetings and communicate with management. He expressed confidence that student representation would develop further as the institution expands.

He also described the university as one of the more affordable private universities in Osun State and assured the delegation of management’s openness to dialogue, constructive criticism and collaboration with student organisations.

A key issue raised by the NANS coordinator was the need to ensure that academic programmes met all applicable approval and accreditation requirements. Adeyemo warned that students could face difficulties after graduation if unresolved regulatory issues affected the recognition of their qualifications, including during NYSC mobilisation and other post-graduation processes.

He urged the university to sustain its commitment to academic standards and ensure that students were adequately informed about the regulatory status of their programmes.

On student unionism, Adeyemo acknowledged the existing faculty-level representation structures and encouraged the management to strengthen them while working towards a more inclusive university-wide representative system as the institution grows.

The delegation also requested a guided tour of the university’s facilities to assess its infrastructure, learning environment and student facilities firsthand.

Concluding the engagement, the NANS Southwest coordinator, while extending the goodwill of NANS National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez (BABTEE), urged the management to sustain the university’s development, prioritise students’ welfare and continue investing in academic quality.

NANS Southwest reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with tertiary institutions across the region, noting that sustainable institutional growth must go hand in hand with academic excellence, regulatory compliance and effective student representation.