On October 10, Seventh-day Adventist Church members in the Northern Nigeria Union Conference (NNUC) gathered to pray for the opening of the Adventist College of Nursing Sciences in Jengre, Plateau State. Held at Seventh-day Adventist Church Hospital, the special prayer session had in attendance Ladi Zhu, director of Nursing Services for Plateau State, as well as clergy representatives from other Evangelical denominations.

Leaders and members of the NNUC were full of gratitude to God for the birth of the new College of Nursing Sciences in Jengre.

Barnabas Mandong, professor of pathology at University of Jos, was the guest speaker at the special prayer session. “Health education remains an integral part of Christian education, something the Adventist Church around the world has always supported,” he said. 

Mandong, former commissioner for health in Plateau State, said he is optimistic that the new school in Jengre “will reflect Christ, promote good health, and develop character and nurture the students emotionally, socially, and physically.” He added, “Health education is a part of God’s plan of redemption and restoration to a saving relationship with our Savior.”

NNUC executive secretary Istifanus Ishaya attended the ceremony, representing NNUC president Uchopo Yohanna Harry, who could not attend. Ishaya reaffirmed the commitment of the Adventist Church in northern Nigeria to health education and the ministry of healing. “The establishment of Adventist College of Nursing Sciences in Jengre is a pointer that the Adventist Church is keen to help the teeming youth in northern Nigeria towards developing career paths that will blend with their spiritual growth and satisfaction, especially in the field of nursing sciences,” he said.

Jerisha Kakwi, the new chair of the school’s Technical Committee, said she is confident that the peaceful surroundings of the school campus will greatly enhance the teaching and learning process. She also thanked God for His blessings along the way. “The existence of this school is a historical milestone for the Adventist Church in Northern Nigeria. We are grateful to God for His providence, wisdom, and guidance,” Kakwi said.

Adventist College of Nursing Sciences in Jengre is situated within the premises of the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Jengre, Plateau State. The school includes four lecture halls with a seating capacity of at least 50 students each.

The original version of this story was posted by on the West-Central Africa Division news site.