History of the Diocese on the Niger’s Involvement in Education

It is important to note that Diocese on the Niger, through the CMS missionaries, were the forerunners of formal education in West Africa especially in Nigeria.  In other words, the Niger Mission gave birth to the Diocese on the Niger and education was one of the strategies of the missionaries.  Bank (1857) writing on the origin of formal education in old Eastern Nigeria observes that opening of mission school by Taylor was a new strategy adopted by the missionaries. 

In agreement with the above, Adebiyi (1994) maintains that by this time, that was before the 20th Century, there was no formal schools recognized by the government in rural areas. In fact, government was based in Lagos. In essence, it was the activities of the CMS missionary (Diocese on the Niger) that brought formal education to the old Eastern region. Hence, Diocese on the Niger (Anglican Communion), since the Nineteen Century, spearheaded the task of educating and opening of different schools in Nigeria in stages due to the problem of finance and non-availability of manpower. Notwithstanding these challenges, the CMS centered the mission stations on schools, and at the same time emphasized the need for missionaries and converts to exercise direct Christian influence on the laws and customs of the people.

In the Niger area (Diocese on the Niger), CMS extended its work to Awka, where it founded a Teacher Training College which today has metamorphosed into Paul University, Awka and then to Egbu and Patani and by 1910 to the Isoko people.  Development of literary works in indigenous languages was part of their educational plan. The educational programme of the CMS missionaries saw industrial institutions established to teach carpentry, bricklaying, dyeing, etc. 

In addition to establishment of educational institutions, there was also commencement of medical work at Iyi-Enu from the 1890s where a small hospital was opened in 1907 and which presently has become a secondary health provider.  Not only that, Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, in fulfillment of her corporate social responsibility towards the advancement of learning and providing of  quality personnel  in the health sector, established the School of Nursing, School of Midwifery, Lasbery College of Health Technology, (comprising of School of Dental Technicians, and School of Medical Laboratory Technicians. It also pursued approval and the establishment of School of Health Information Management, School of Pharmacy Technician and School of Community Health Extension Work), and many other schools that will help humanity and the society at large.

Lasbery College of Health Technology

This institution was name after a renowned Anglican clergyman, Rt Rev Bertram Lasbery. Rt Rev Bertram Lasbery was a long serving Anglican bishop in the 20th century. He was born in 1881, educated at Bedford School and St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and ordained in 1905. He held Curacies at St Andrew, Bishop Auckland and St John, Melcombe Regis. He was then Vicar of St Gabriel, Bishopwearmouth. In 1922 he became Bishop on the Niger, a post he held for 23 years. Returning to England he was an Assistant Bishop of Worcester. He died on 6 April 1976.

Lasbery College of Health Technology comprises of five (5) schools viz;

     

    1. School of Medical Laboratory Technician (S.M.L.T)

    1. School Dental Health Technician (S.D.H.T)

    1. School of Health Information Management (S.H.I.M)

    1. School of Pharmacy Technicians (S.P.T)

    1. School of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW & JCHEW)

    1. School of Public Health (In view)

School of Medical Laboratory Technician (S.M.L.T)

The vision to establish this institution was the brain child of late Reverend Canon Johnny Amaizu who in 2011 muted the idea to the Diocesan through the then hospital Management Board. This vision was strengthened from the fact that since 1938 when the Diocese established the School of Midwifery, the hospital had remained committed in the area of setting high academic standards. The Bishop on the Niger, The Rt. Reverend Dr. Owen Chiedozie Nwokolo set up a committee with the mandate of actualizing the establishment of the school. By 2013, the physical structures of the institution were already in place courtesy of a millennium development goal [MDG] project. In 2016, with Sir Ikechukwu Ejelue as the Board Chairman and Venerable Chris Amaku as Hospital Administrator, the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria responded to the desire of the Diocese to establish the school and on 24th January 2017, the Council carried out the statutory accreditation visit, and gave its approval for the takeoff of the school.

The School started formally on 1st September 2017 with Ifeoma Joy Onuorah as the first Co-coordinator and Head of school while Candy Nnamdi Ofodile – a 1978 Chemical Pathology graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka became the Deputy Co-coordinator. Within the first one month, the school resumed full academic activities with its pioneer intake of forty students.

School Dental Health Technician (S.D.H.T)

The School was established in 2018 with the approval of commencement from the Dental Therapy Council which is the council regulating Dental Surgery Technicians in Nigeria. Rev Dr Chukwudinma Akabuogu was the pioneer principal and was succeeded by Dth. Ukachukwu Ifechukwu who is the current Principal.

The school runs the program, Dental Surgery Technician, a three (3) year program which has secured full accreditation from the Council.

Dental Surgery Technician, DST, is a member of dental team, comprising of Dental Therapists, Dental technologists, Dental Surgeon etc.

School of Health Information Management (S.H.I.M)

 The School was established in 2018 after receiving an approval from the Health Records Registration Board of Nigeria. At first, the school requested for the certification of OND program, which is a two (2) years course. However, after the first successful accreditation, we requested further for the HND accreditation in December, 2021 which has been granted. The pioneer principal is Mrs Chioma Nwajuaku, who is still the current principal. We now await the NBTE accreditation for enrollment into the JAMB brochure.

School of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW & JCHEW)

This school got her first accreditation in December 2023 and began full academics session in January 2023 with her first intake of students. The pioneer Head of School is PHCT Akunna Ujunwa Lynda.

School of Pharmacy Technicians (S.P.T)

The school was established in 2019, under the watchful supervision of Pharmacist John Ugoji who also was the pioneer principal.  

NBTE Accreditation Visit

On the 29th of June, 2024, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) paid a visit to Lasbery College of Health Technology, Ogidi for the very purpose of licensing the College to operate in accordance with the board’s provisions to run National Diploma (ND) and the Higher National Diploma (HND) programs.

At the end of the exercise, the team expressed satisfaction in what they inspected and pointed out few areas that need improvement. The board finally gave their approval to Lasbery College for the following programs;

     

    1. Dental Therapy

    1. Health Information Management

    1. Community Health Technology

    1. Environmental Health Technology (a new program)

However, the Departments of Medical Laboratory Technicians and the Department of Pharmacy Technicians were yet to be accredited but would join as soon as they resolve their council issues.

Admissions Status

The College offers admissions to prospective candidates who wrote the JAMB examination and are willing to study in the Lasbery College of Health Technology. Go to a verified JAMB CBT and do a Change of Institution to Lasbery College of Health Technology and your name will reflect in the College JAMB Portal through the JAMB. You can also select the School as your First choice during Registration for JAMB Examination.

Objectives

The objectives of the College include to:

  1. Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction the opportunity of acquiring higher education with sound morals; Produce highly skilled, professional, entrepreneurial and well-rounded graduates that will be useful to the health sector, industries, commercial ventures and government agencies soon after their graduation as well as capable of establishing their own businesses thereby becoming employers of labour rather than job seekers;
  2. Create a stimulating and challenging academic environment, provide requisite facilities for the pursuit of effective teaching, learning, research and the acquisition of tertiary education as are appropriate for a College of the highest standing as well as make those facilities available on proper terms to such persons as are equipped to benefit from use of the facilities;
  • Advance scholarship, knowledge, research and professionalism; and to promote through research and other means the advancement of knowledge and its practical application to social, moral, cultural, economic, scientific and technological problems in relevant fields of learning;
  1. Promote excellence in science and technology to meet the challenges of the global village;
  2. Inculcate creative and innovative values as well as professional and entrepreneurial capacities in students and foster in them an orientation consistent with the philosophy of the College in producing disciplined, upright, morally sound and ethically cultured patriotic men and women so as to make them more relevant to the national development process thereby ushering in the new Nigeria of our collective dream;
  3. Complement the efforts of Government in generating employment opportunities for Nigerians and creating a corruption free society; and undertake any other activities appropriate for a College all over the world.

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