Fate Of Nigerian Medical Students From Sudan Hangs In Balance

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

The students, who fled or were evacuated by the Federal Government of Nigeria without exit visas, are 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 students enrolled at Sudan International University (SIU) were evacuated to Nigeria during the 2023 conflict in Sudan in their final year of study.

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

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

He added that they were preparing to sit for the MDCN examinations, but one requirement was presenting a first-entry and 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 could 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, gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery, and medicine lectures, and graduated in October 2024. We took examinations supervised by consultants at UDUTH,” Hassan said.

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

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

“We are preparing for the MDCN exams, but one requirement is submitting 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, appealing to the Federal Government to intervene.

NAN reports that MDCN is the regulatory body for Medicine and Dentistry in Nigeria. It was established by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, has been operational since Dec. 18, 1963, and was updated under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

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

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 exams 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 visa 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 either: return to a designated campus of their foreign university to complete studies physically;

“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 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 correctly transferred and graduated from Nigerian universities approved by MDCN had been indexed, graduated, and registered as doctors.

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

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 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 en route and would respond appropriately.