At least 1,955 Nigerian nurses based in the United Kingdom may have to start making preparations to return to their fatherland following allegations of their involvement in examination malpractices while seeking certification to practice in the country.
The affected nurses were discovered to have alleged engaged in irregularities by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The ongoing probe by the NMC indicated that the medical practitioners allegedly engaged in exam fraud at the Yunnik test centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.
From this number, large percentage of the medical professionals names were said to have been removed from the NMC professional register, while the UK authorities have withdrawn their visas from others over their involvement in examination malpractice.
The issue stemmed from the irregularities discovered in the mandatory Computer-Based Test (CBT) for foreign trained nurses seeking UK registration, the NMC’s discovery of unusual completion times by some candidates which raised red flags about potential fraud at the Yunnik test centre.
According to NMC, 48 professionals on the register were discovered to have completed their CBT test in a time that was unusual, while 669 appicants were also discovered to have cut corners at the examination center.
The NMC also disclosed that an additional 467 professionals and 771 applicants had their CBT results invalidated without fraud allegations.
To address the situation, the midwifery council stated that it is offering free CBT retakes through Pearson VUE.
However, the council emphasized that passing the test does not guarantee the safety of the applicants’ careers.
It disclosed, “Passing the retest would not guarantee reinstatement or automatic approval of pending applications.”
According to the NMC, applicants with invalidated results must retake the test for their applications to proceed, while those facing fraud allegations await hearings.
Reports indicate that since March 2024, the NMC has held 12 fraudulent entry hearings, resulting in 10 nurses being removed from the register, while two were cleared.
The council has pledged to resolve cases swiftly and is providing support to those affected.
