A group of 47 Nigerian medical students evacuated from Sudan in 2023 face an uncertain future as they struggle to meet the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) exam registration requirements.
The students, who fled Sudan without exit visas during the conflict, lack key documents—first entry and last exit visas—required by MDCN to sit for the June 2025 qualifying exams.
Originally final-year students of Sudan International University (SIU), they were evacuated and later completed their studies at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto, under a NUC-approved academic collaboration between SIU and UDUTH.
Despite graduating in 2024 and obtaining SIU certificates, MDCN insists on full compliance with documentation, including passport visa pages showing entry and exit stamps—many of which were lost during evacuation.
Najid Hassan, President of the Nigerian Students Association at SIU, said the students completed all academic and clinical requirements in Nigeria, including supervised rotations in surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology, and medicine.
He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene urgently to prevent the students’ careers from being derailed.
MDCN Registrar, Dr. Fatima Kyari, acknowledged challenges faced by students from conflict zones but stated that the MoU with UDUTH does not qualify as a full clinical training program recognised by MDCN. Only students who fully transferred to MDCN-accredited Nigerian universities are exempt from the foreign-trained medical and dental graduates (FTMDG) assessment.
The Federal Ministry of Education advised the students to submit a formal appeal to the Minister of Education and copy relevant departments for action.
While the NUC confirmed awareness of the issue, no official response was received from NiDCOM or UDUTH at the time of this report.
This report is adapted from a news feature by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), www.nannews.ng
