Shock after Nigeria medical watchdog bans Ukraine degrees

In a shock announcement, Nigeria’s Medical and Dental Council said it will not recognize degrees from Ukrainian universities obtained since the start of the country’s war with Russia.

The regulator for professional health services in Nigeria will also not accept medical and dental programmes offered online.

The announcement follows the conversion of in-person courses to online courses for many students who were studying in Ukraine who are yet to complete their programmes.

Some of those students who spoke to the BBC say it is a huge blow to their studies and careers, especially for those who had spent more than five years studying and only have a few months left until graduation.

They call the policy discriminatory, arguing that students who studied online during the pandemic were allowed to graduate and practise.

Student have also criticised the government for failing to keep Nigerian universities open amid recent rolling strikes by lecturers, forcing them to study elsewhere.

Hundreds of Nigerian students were evacuated from Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

The Medical and Dental Council, which regulates Nigerian doctors, dentists and alternative medicine practitioners has recently rejected online training from other countries, saying it falls short of acceptable standards.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

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