Forty-seven Nigerian medical students who were evacuated from Sudan amid the country’s civil conflict in 2023 are reportedly uncertain about their professional futures, as they struggle to meet the documentation requirements for licensing exams in Nigeria.
- Forty-seven Nigerian medical students evacuated from Sudan in 2023 are facing challenges
- The students, formerly under Sudan International University, were repatriated amidst the civil conflict
- These students, who fled the conflict without proper travel documents, are currently unable to meet the verification requirements for Nigerian licensing exams.
The medical students, among hundreds of Nigerians repatriated under emergency conditions by the Nigerian government, were in their final year at Sudan International University (SIU) when the conflict broke out.
Interviews reveal that many students fled without passports or valid exit visas due to the chaotic evacuation, yet these documents are now required by Nigeria’s Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) for registration in the June 2025 foreign-trained medical graduate examination
Najid Hassan, President of the Nigerian Students Association at SIU, said, “We fled a war; most of us had no time to retrieve our documents.”
“Now we’ve graduated, but we can’t proceed with licensing because we’re missing visa stamps.” She added.
Following their evacuation, the students claimed that thay received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to complete their medical training at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.
They resumed studies in December 2023, completed clinical rotations, and were awarded SIU certificates in October 2024.
Despite this, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the regulatory body for medicine and dentistry in the country, insists that all foreign-trained medical graduates must submit proof of travel history, including first entry and last exit visa pages, as part of its standard verification process.
MDCN shares challenges
MDCN Registrar Dr. Fatima Kyari, in a recent publication, noted that while the council has established pathways for students impacted by conflicts and global disruptions, such as the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, strict documentation standards remain in place to maintain professional integrity.
“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” she said.
“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.” She added.
She further explained that the MoU with UDUTH was an academic collaboration and did not equate to clinical training under Nigerian-accredited institutions.
The Federal Ministry of Education has advised the affected students to submit a formal appeal to the Minister of Education, copying the Director of Education Support Services for follow-up. The National Universities Commission has also encouraged the students to seek redress through official channels.
However, the students are concerned that time is running out as the June examination date approaches.
“We are ready to serve, ready to contribute to Nigeria’s health sector,” Hassan said.
“But we need the government to recognize the exceptional nature of our case.” She added.
Efforts to reach officials from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) has be reported unsuccessful.
Recall that Sudan descended into civil war in April 2023 following a violent power struggle between rival military factions, forcing thousands of foreign nationals, including students, to flee.
Olamilekan Okebiorun
