UNILORIN quota crisis leaves 44 medical graduates stranded and threatens future MBBS students

No fewer than 44 medical graduates of the University of Ilorin have failed to begin compulsory house service almost a year after completing their studies following a dispute over quotas for their placement, raising fears that dozens of current final year medical students may suffer a similar fate.

PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the affected graduates, who spent eight years studying medicine due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, successfully completed their MBBS final exams in August 2025.

However, while 150 fellows were inducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in November 2025, the remaining 44 graduates are yet to be inducted because the university has exceeded its approved induction quota.

The prolonged delay prevented graduates from starting mandatory domestic work, effectively putting their medical careers on hold.

Affected graduates had previously expressed frustration with the situation, complaining that despite meeting all academic requirements, they were left with no official timeline for their placement.

They said the university’s promises that they would be hired within six to eight weeks after the first batch were yet to materialise.

“Our colleagues have already started their housework while we remain at home despite having completed our medical training,” lamented one of the graduates.

In response to the concerns, the university explained that 194 students sat the final MBBS exams in 2025, with 175 passing them outright while 19 subsequently passed the re-sit exams.

The Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. Biodun Alabi, said the MDCN had only approved 150 graduates for employment in line with the institution’s existing quota.

According to him, the university ranked the eligible candidates, leading to the placement of the top 150 graduates, while the remaining 44 candidates were left behind.

Alabi said the university continued discussions with the MDCN to facilitate the placement of interested graduates.

He added that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, had directed the commencement of processes for the re-accreditation of the medical program to ensure an increase in the university’s placement quota.

However, there was no indication that the reaccreditation exercise had begun at the time of submission of this report.

The development has also raised concerns over the fate of the current 600 MBBS level students, around 205 in total, who are expected to sit for their final professional exams later this year.

With the university’s current induction capacity set at 150, education stakeholders fear that even if all students pass the exams, around 55 of them could be left without induction unless the quota is increased.

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