Foreign-Trained Doctors Question Sudden MDCN Fee Increase

Foreign-trained Nigerian medical graduates have raised concerns over a sudden increase in registration fees announced by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) ahead of their induction.

The graduates, who recently passed the MDCN’s June qualifying examination, said the council initially informed them through an email on 10 July that they would pay ₦265,000 for registration and induction.

Some candidates said they had already prepared their finances based on the announced amount. One graduate, Betty Joan (name withheld), who studied medicine in Russia, said many applicants had started making plans around the original fee.

“We had already started planning around that amount,” Joan said.

However, the council sent another email the following day asking candidates to ignore the earlier message. The new notice increased the required payment to ₦415,000, adding ₦150,000 to the previous figure.

“Then all of a sudden they changed the mail yesterday and said we should pay ₦415,000 for the fees now. They just told us to ignore the first mail,” she said.

Joan described the change as unfair because the increase came without any explanation after candidates had already arranged their finances. “It isn’t fair,” she added.

The MDCN registration fee increase has caused frustration among affected graduates, who are seeking clarity from the regulatory body. When contacted, an official from the MDCN Registrar’s Office declined to comment by phone, stating that the matter should be submitted formally.

“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,” the official said.

An enquiry sent to the council by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) had not received a response at the time of publication.

The graduates are now awaiting further explanation from the MDCN regarding the reason behind the fee adjustment and how it will affect their upcoming induction process.

Should regulatory bodies provide clearer explanations before making major fee changes for professionals?