UK Sanctions Over 1,200 Nigerian Nurses in Widening Exam Fraud Scandal
Nearly 2,000 medical professionals face registration review as investigation exposes systemic testing irregularities
A deepening examination fraud crisis has ensnared 1,955 Nigerian-trained nurses seeking UK registration, with 1,238 already facing sanctions and 717 under active investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The scandal centers on suspicious test results from the Yunnik Technologies test center in Ibadan, threatening to become one of the largest credentialing controversies in UK healthcare history.
The CBT Irregularities
The NMC’s probe identified two categories of compromised results:
- 48 registered nurses and 669 applicants allegedly completed the Computer-Based Test (CBT) in implausibly short timeframes
- 467 registered professionals and 771 applicants had results invalidated without fraud determinations
“Test analytics showed some candidates finished in half the expected time,” an NMC spokesperson revealed. The CBT, administered by Pearson VUE, evaluates nursing competency for overseas professionals seeking UK practice rights.
Consequences Unfold
The fallout has been immediate and severe:
✔ 10 nurses already struck off the UK register after disciplinary hearings
✔ 183 applications rejected due to “character concerns”
✔ UK Home Office revoking visas and initiating deportations
Affected individuals must now retake exams at no cost, though the NMC warns this doesn’t guarantee registration. Those contesting allegations face Independent Panel hearings that could end their UK careers.
Migration Crisis Compounds Scandal
The controversy erupts amid unprecedented Nigerian nurse emigration:
- 15,000+ left Nigeria in 2023 (NMCN data)
- 42,000 departed over three years
- 13,656 currently practice in the UK
“This exposes the desperation of healthcare workers fleeing Nigeria’s broken system,” said Dr. Ola Brown of Flying Doctors Nigeria. “When home institutions fail, professionals risk everything for opportunities abroad.”
Institutional Responses
Yunnik Technologies maintains its testing integrity, while Nigeria’s Nursing Council pledges to collaborate with UK authorities. The NMC has established a dedicated support team, noting: “We must protect patients while ensuring fairness.”
With 1,738 cases pending resolution, the scandal threatens UK-Nigeria healthcare relations and raises urgent questions about global credential verification in an era of mass medical migration.
