Fate of Nigerian medical students from Sudan hangs in balance

A group of 47 Nigerian medical students who escaped war-torn Sudan in May 2023 are now struggling to register for the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) examination due to a document snag.

The students, many of whom fled or were evacuated by the federal government without exit visas, are currently racing against time to meet the registration deadline, with their future careers hanging precariously in the balance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that these students, who were enrolled at Sudan International University (SIU), were evacuated to Nigeria during the 2023 conflict in Sudan while in their final year of study.

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According to the students, with the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), they were permitted to continue their academic programme at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.

Speaking to NAN on Saturday in Abuja, one of the students said: “We successfully completed our studies and graduated in 2024, receiving our certificates as students of SIU.”

He added that they were currently preparing to sit for the MDCN examinations.

The student, however, added that one of the requirements was presenting a first entry visa and a last exit visa.

“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents, as most of our passports remained in Sudan due to the emergency evacuation.

“We respectfully request permission to sit for the examinations scheduled for June 2025,” he said.

The President of the Nigerian Students Association at SIU, Najid Hassan, confirmed that due to the war in Sudan, Nigerian students were evacuated by the federal government.

Hassan explained that with NUC approval, the affected students were allowed to continue their academic programme at UDUTH following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SIU and UDUTH.

“After the MoU, we resumed studies at UDUTH in December 2023 and spent one year there.

“We completed clinical rotations, lectures in gynaecology, pediatrics, surgery, and medicine, and graduated in October 2024.

“We took examinations supervised by consultants at UDUTH,” Hassan said.

He added that after graduation, students were awarded certificates bearing the SIU name.

Hassan, however, said that when they approached MDCN for registration, the process, expected to be seamless, became challenging.

“We are currently preparing for the MDCN exams, but one requirement is the submission of a ‘first entry visa and a last exit visa.’

“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents because most passports remain in Sudan due to emergency evacuation,” Hassan said.

NAN

He appealed to the federal government to intervene.

NAN reports that MDCN is the regulatory body for Medicine and Dentistry in Nigeria and was established by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act.

The Act had been operational since Dec. 18, 1963, and updated under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The council’s statutory functions include setting and reviewing standards for medical and dental education.

Sections 9(3) and (4) of the Act empower the council to conduct assessment exams for holders of foreign medical or dental qualifications recognised by their countries of origin.

Candidates expected to sit for these examinations are trained outside Nigeria at institutions listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.

One of the application requirements is submitting relevant portions of international passports, including visas and arrival/departure stamps.

In a 2024 publication addressing students returning from conflict zones, MDCN Registrar, Dr Fatima Kyari, reaffirmed these rules but expressed sympathy for students affected by COVID-19 and conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan.

“The council has held extensive consultations and developed remediation pathways to facilitate integration.

“Students graduating in 2023 or later were advised to return to a designated campus of their foreign university to complete studies physically.

“They can also transfer to an accredited Nigerian university, subject to NUC approval, or integrate into a Nigerian university per NUC guidelines.

“Many students from Sudan and Ukraine have successfully integrated through these pathways, exempting them from the foreign-trained medical and dental graduates (FTMDG) exams if graduating from Nigerian institutions,” Kyari said.

She explained that the MoU with UDUTH was an academic collaboration and did not equate to clinical training for a medical qualification recognised by MDCN.

She noted that students who properly transferred and graduated from Nigerian universities approved by MDCN had been indexed, graduated, and registered as doctors.

The Federal Ministry of Education, through the Director of University Education, Hajiya Rakiya Ilyasu, acknowledged the situation.

She advised the affected students to formally write to the Minister of Education, including their names, and to copy the Director of Education Support Services to help facilitate a resolution.

Similarly, NUC Deputy Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, confirmed awareness of the development and advised students to contact the Ministry of Education to resolve the issues.

However, all efforts by NAN to obtain a response from Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), regarding the students’ plea proved unsuccessful.

Similarly, all efforts to get a reaction from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) failed.

The Deputy Provost of the Medical School said he had no authority to speak on the issue, while the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Garba, said he was on transit and would respond appropriately. (NAN)