The Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) has called for greater compassion, professional competence and moral conscience in the practice of medicine, as the association commenced its 27th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The five-day conference, themed “Compassion, Competence and Conscience: Integrating Islamic Values in Modern Medical Practice,” is holding from August 24 to 29, 2026, at the Main Auditorium of the University of Ilorin.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Thursday, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health welcomed delegates from across the country and said the theme was timely in addressing the ethical and professional demands confronting modern healthcare.
The Commissioner highlighted the state government’s investments in tertiary and primary healthcare, including the transformation of the former General Hospital, Ilorin, into the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH), acquisition of modern diagnostic equipment and continued investment in primary healthcare infrastructure.
He also noted that Kwara State emerged as the Best Performing State in the North-Central Zone in the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge, describing the recognition as evidence of the government’s commitment to accessible and quality healthcare.
The Commissioner commended IMAN for its free medical and surgical outreach at KWASUTH on August 22 and 23, which provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, describing the initiative as an example of compassion translated into practical service.
Chairman of the opening ceremony, Emeritus Professor Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede, urged Muslim healthcare professionals to combine compassion, competence and conscience in the discharge of their duties.
Oloyede, who is also the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, said technological advancement alone could not guarantee humane healthcare, stressing that medical professionals must remain conscious of the dignity and vulnerability of patients.
According to him, compassion without competence could be dangerous, competence without compassion could become dehumanising, while both without conscience could lead to exploitation and injustice.
He called on medical professionals to see patients as an amānah, or trust, and to continuously improve their knowledge and skills while maintaining high ethical standards.
Delivering the keynote address, Senator Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe described the challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare system as symptoms requiring honest diagnosis and collective action.
Oloriegbe identified fear among patients, the migration of skilled healthcare professionals and the influence of money over patient care as some of the challenges affecting the profession.
He said the deeper problem was a loss of ihsān, or excellence, when healthcare ceased to be regarded as a trust and became merely a transaction.
He prescribed compassion, competence and conscience as essential “medicines” for restoring trust in the healthcare profession, while acknowledging that systemic challenges such as inadequate financing, poor infrastructure and shortages of equipment and personnel also required government attention.
Reflecting on the history of Islamic medicine, Oloriegbe cited the contributions of renowned Muslim physicians including Al-Razi and Ibn Sina, noting that the Islamic medical tradition historically combined healthcare delivery with ethics, compassion and professional excellence.
He challenged present-day Muslim healthcare professionals to preserve that legacy by ensuring that patients are treated with dignity irrespective of their financial status.
The keynote speaker also shared the story of an indigent female patient whose treatment, despite her inability to pay, left a lasting impression on him.
He said the experience reinforced his belief that medical ethics ultimately comes down to a simple question: whether healthcare professionals would treat a patient as a trust from Allah or as a financial transaction.
Earlier, the National President of IMAN, Professor Ibrahim Adekunle Oreagba, said the conference represented an opportunity to reaffirm the association’s commitment to healing, ethical practice and service to humanity.
Oreagba highlighted several achievements of the association, including its collaboration with the ASAD Group on the establishment of a multispecialty hospital in Kaduna, the Save Dignity Grant project, partnership with Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University on substance abuse, digitalisation of IMAN membership and the IMAN-FIMA lifesavers programme.
He also listed IMAN’s involvement in the Nigeria Interfaith Coalition Against HIV/AIDS, publication of the IMAN Medical Journal, participation in the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) leadership and expansion of zakat-based healthcare support for indigent patients.
The National President called for greater investment in a nationwide IMAN health network, Islamic bioethics, access to quality healthcare for the poor and leadership development for young Muslim healthcare professionals.
In his welcome address, the Kwara State Amir of IMAN, Dr Sulyman Ibrahim Kuranga, said Kwara had hosted the association’s annual conference three times, in 1999, 2009 and 2026, describing the latest hosting as a testament to the commitment of the state’s members.
Kuranga disclosed that IMAN Kwara had expanded from its initial structure to more than eight branches across hospitals and healthcare institutions in the state, including newly inaugurated branches at KWASUTH, the KWASU College of Medicine and the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Budo-Egba.
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Lukman O. Abdur-Rahman, disclosed that the conference had registered 856 delegates as of August 18, including more than 700 early-bird registrations.
He said the free medical and surgical outreach conducted as part of the conference attended to over 1,500 beneficiaries, with 70 surgeries and 60 ophthalmic surgeries performed within two days.
Abdur-Rahman added that the scientific programme would feature 74 abstracts and symposia on healthcare chaplaincy and faith-based counselling, women’s health, insecurity and medico-legal solutions, and geriatric healthcare in Nigeria.
The conference also featured the presentation of awards of service and recognition to prominent individuals, including the Jagunmolu of Igbaja, Alhaji Abdulraheem Oladimeji, and Senator Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe.
The conference is expected to conclude on Saturday, August 29, with a final press briefing following the scientific sessions and Annual General Meeting.
