Benson Idahosa University (BIU) has achieved a major milestone in its quest to become one of Nigeria’s leading private institutions for medical education after securing First Clinical Accreditation for its Medicine programme from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The approval not only authorises the university to conduct Part II and Part III Professional Examinations in Medicine but also increases its annual admission quota from 50 to 100 students, effectively doubling its capacity to train future medical doctors.
Announcing the development during a press conference in Benin City, the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Okhuoya described the accreditation as one of the most significant achievements in the university’s history and another affirmation of its commitment to academic excellence.
According to him, the approval followed a rigorous accreditation exercise conducted by a thirteen-member team of the MDCN on June 23 and 24, during which the council assessed the university’s teaching facilities, clinical training arrangements, laboratories, academic workforce and overall readiness to deliver quality medical education.
Professor Okhuoya said the increased admission quota reflects the council’s confidence in the university’s sustained investment in modern laboratories, teaching hospitals, clinical partnerships, learning facilities and highly qualified academic staff.
“This achievement represents far more than regulatory approval. It is a resounding vote of confidence in our faculty, infrastructure, clinical training facilities, governance and commitment to producing medical professionals who will compete favourably anywhere in the world,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the accreditation brings the institution a step closer to another historic milestone—the graduation of its first set of medical doctors within the next 22 to 30 months, a dream first envisioned by the university’s founder, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, nearly five decades ago.
“This milestone brings us a step closer to graduating our first set of medical doctors, fulfilling a vision conceived 48 years ago by our Founder,” Professor Okhuoya added.
Beyond Medicine, the university also announced a significant expansion of its academic offerings.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved three additional programmes to commence in the 2026/2027 academic session. They include B.Sc. Cyber Security, B.Sc. Software Engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law. The Cyber Security and Software Engineering programmes will operate under BIU’s newly established Faculty of Computing.
Professor Okhuoya said the new computing programmes are designed to address the growing global demand for professionals capable of protecting critical digital infrastructure and developing innovative software solutions in an increasingly technology-driven world.
He explained that graduates would be equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to compete within Nigeria’s expanding technology ecosystem and the global digital economy.
The Vice Chancellor said the approval of the PhD in Law programme also reflects the university’s commitment to advancing legal scholarship and producing researchers whose work will contribute to judicial reforms, policy development and the strengthening of the rule of law.
“At Benson Idahosa University, we do not measure success by accreditation alone. We measure success by the quality of graduates we produce, the impact of our research, the strength of our values and the difference we make in society,” he said.
The latest approvals represent another significant boost for private university education in Nigeria and reinforce BIU’s ambition to position its College of Medical Sciences and emerging Faculty of Computing among the country’s leading centres for professional training and research.