About 1,238 Nigerian nurses in the United Kingdom are facing disciplinary actions over allegations of exam fraud linked to the Yunnik test centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has also placed 717 others under investigation, bringing the total number of affected individuals to 1955.
The scandal emerged after the NMC identified irregularities in the Computer-Based Test (CBT), a requirement for foreign-trained nurses seeking UK registration.
Investigators flagged concerns about the speed at which some candidates completed the exam, leading to suspicions of fraudulent activity.
As a result, some of the affected nurses have had their visas revoked by the UK Home Office and are facing deportation.
The Nursing Times reported that several have already been removed from the professional register, while others are appealing their cases.
Breaking down the numbers, the NMC explained: “48 professionals on the register achieved their CBT in a time we believe is more likely than not to indicate that they obtained their result fraudulently. 669 applicants wishing to join the register also fall into this category.
467 professionals on the register had their CBT invalidated without fraud allegations, while 771 applicants in a similar situation had their tests invalidated.”
To resolve the situation, the NMC has offered affected individuals the opportunity to retake the CBT for free through Pearson VUE. However, the council clarified that passing the retest would not guarantee reinstatement or automatic approval of pending applications.
Those found guilty of fraud will face disciplinary hearings before an Independent Panel, which will determine whether they should remain on the register.
Meanwhile, applicants whose CBT results were invalidated must retake the test before their applications can be reconsidered.
So far, 202 cases have been reviewed, resulting in 183 application refusals due to character concerns. Only nine applications have been approved, while six of the nine appeal cases have been dismissed.
Since March 2024, the NMC has held 12 fraudulent entry hearings, leading to the removal of 10 nurses from the register, while two were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The council has assured affected individuals that it is working to resolve cases as quickly as possible and has provided support for those struggling with the process.
This controversy unfolds amid a surge in the migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals. Former Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Faruk Abubakar, recently revealed that over 15,000 nurses and midwives left Nigeria in 2023 alone. Over the past three years, 42,000 Nigerian nurses have relocated abroad.
Despite these challenges, official records as of August 2024 indicate that 13,656 Nigerian-educated nurses and midwives are currently practising in the UK.