Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Foreign-trained Nigerian medical graduates have raised serious concerns over an abrupt and unexplained increase in their registration and induction fees by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. The affected doctors, who recently passed the council's June qualifying examination and are preparing for their induction, said they were initially directed to pay ₦265,000, only to be told the following day to disregard that notice and pay ₦415,000 instead—a ₦150,000 increase with no official explanation.
According to multiple reports from the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Gistcore Media, and OGM News NG, the council first sent an email on July 10, 2026, informing successful candidates that they were required to pay ₦265,000 for their registration and induction. Many graduates said they had already begun making financial arrangements based on that figure. However, on July 11, the council sent another email instructing candidates to ignore the earlier notice and pay the new amount of ₦415,000.
One affected graduate, Betty Joan (name withheld), who studied medicine in Russia, told FIJ that the sudden change had thrown her and her colleagues into confusion. "We had already started planning around that amount," she said. "Then all of a sudden they changed the mail yesterday and said we should pay N415,000 for the fees now. They just told us to ignore the first mail." She described the development as unfair, saying the hike came without any prior warning or justification.
When FIJ contacted the MDCN Registrar's Office for clarification, an official refused to comment over the phone, saying, "This cannot be discussed over the phone. You can send an email to us or submit a document to that effect at the council's headquarters." An enquiry sent to the council's official email address had yet to receive a response at the time of publication.
The abrupt fee hike has sparked frustration among the graduates, many of whom are already grappling with the financial pressures of transitioning from foreign training to professional practice in Nigeria. The MDCN has not issued any public statement explaining the reason for the revised fee or why candidates were instructed to disregard the earlier payment notice.
The controversy comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with a critical shortage of medical professionals, with many young doctors seeking opportunities abroad. The unexplained increase adds another layer of financial burden on graduates who have already invested years and significant resources in their medical education. The graduates are now awaiting further explanation from the council regarding the reason behind the fee adjustment and how it will affect their upcoming induction.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments