The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has warned 43 newly inducted medical laboratory science graduates of Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, against attempting to proceed to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without completing their mandatory one-year internship and obtaining full professional registration.

The warning was delivered on Saturday, October 10, 2026, during the university’s third oath-taking ceremony for medical laboratory science graduates. The council’s Registrar, Dr Donald Ofili, represented at the event by Dr Akinwale Akinlabi, urged the inductees to maintain high professional and ethical standards throughout their careers.

Ofili described medical laboratory science as a critical part of healthcare delivery, noting that laboratory investigations provide important information that helps clinicians diagnose illnesses, monitor patients and make treatment decisions.

He stressed that the council would continue to monitor practitioners’ conduct as part of efforts to protect public health, preserve professional integrity and strengthen the regulation of medical laboratory services in Nigeria.

The registrar reminded the graduates that induction was only one stage in their professional journey. They must complete the required internship at an approved facility and obtain full registration and a practising licence before proceeding to NYSC, in line with the council’s professional requirements.

He also urged the new practitioners to participate in continuous professional development, explaining that medical laboratory science continues to evolve and requires practitioners to update their knowledge and technical skills regularly.

The MLSCN’s published practice standards support the requirement for mandatory internship and full registration before NYSC for medical laboratory science practitioners covered by the regulations. The council also maintains a list of approved institutions offering internship placements.

Earlier, Fountain University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ramota Karim, said the university’s medical laboratory science programme had recorded a 100 per cent success rate in professional examinations since 2024.

Karim also disclosed that the institution had completed a dedicated Medical Laboratory Science Complex containing four laboratory units, each designed to accommodate 100 students. She said the facility would strengthen practical training and help prepare students for the demands of professional practice.

The vice-chancellor thanked parents and guardians for supporting the graduates through their education and encouraged the inductees to represent the university positively in their workplaces and communities.

Delivering the induction lecture, titled “Beyond the Test: The Evolution of Medical Laboratory Science in Modern Healthcare,” Professor Oluyemi Akinloye of the University of Lagos, represented by Professor Oloruntoba Ekun, urged the graduates to make integrity and collaboration central to their work.

He encouraged them to work closely with other healthcare professionals and place patients’ interests at the centre of their decisions, particularly because the reliability of laboratory results can influence diagnosis and treatment.

The induction comes amid the council’s wider efforts to strengthen quality assurance, professional regulation and public confidence in medical laboratory services. The MLSCN is responsible for regulating the profession, overseeing training standards and ensuring that practitioners meet the requirements for lawful practice in Nigeria.

For the 43 graduates, the next stage will involve completing the required internship and fulfilling the council’s registration and licensing conditions. The council’s message was clear: professional induction marks the beginning of greater responsibility, not the end of the training process.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia