COMMUNIQUÉ ON THE NUC CIRCULAR DATED 20TH MAY 2025 REGARDING THE STOPPAGE OF MULTIPLE ACCREDITATION OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES BY PROFESSIONAL BODIES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Issued this 22nd May 2025

The leadership and stakeholders within the Medical Laboratory Science profession in Nigeria have reviewed with deep concern the recent circular released by the National Universities Commission (NUC), dated 20th May 2025 (Ref: NUC/ES/138/Vol.65/202). This circular seeks to stop all professional bodies—except a select few—from conducting independent accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities.

While we recognise the NUC’s intent to streamline accreditation processes and reduce overlap, the exclusion of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) from the list of statutory regulatory bodies permitted to carry out programme accreditation is both troubling and legally flawed.

1. Statutory Role of MLSCN
The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria was established by Act 11 of 2003 and further reinforced by the Laws of the Federation (CAP M25, 2004). It has the exclusive mandate to regulate the training, certification, and practice of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria.

This includes:

• Developing and enforcing training curricula;

• Accrediting faculties and departments offering Medical Laboratory Science;

• Issuing professional licenses based on verified competence and approved standards.

These responsibilities are not administrative conveniences—they are legal obligations.

2. The Reality of Professional Accreditation

The training of Medical Laboratory Scientists is not a purely academic exercise—it is clinical, diagnostic, and life-impacting. Removing MLSCN from the accreditation process undermines quality assurance, opens doors to unchecked academic standards, and risks producing graduates who are academically certified but professionally unprepared.

If MLSCN is shut out of the accreditation process:

• On what basis will it assess the readiness of graduates for licensure?

• Who verifies that institutions meet the required human and infrastructural standards?

• How do we guarantee uniformity in professional competence across training centres?

These are not rhetorical questions—they are urgent concerns tied to public safety, healthcare outcomes, and the integrity of the profession.

3. Licensure Is Inseparable from Accreditation

No graduate from any university can practice as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria without induction and licensing by the MLSCN. Even with NUC accreditation, any institution that fails to meet MLSCN’s criteria will find its graduates professionally stranded—unable to secure internship placements or licensure.

Thus, it must be stated plainly: no institution that intends for its graduates to enter professional practice can afford to bypass MLSCN accreditation.

4. The Path Forward

We respectfully call on the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to:

• Reassess this directive in light of existing legislation and public health implications;

• Acknowledge that professional accreditation by statutory bodies is not duplication, but a legal and professional necessity;

• Engage MLSCN and other affected stakeholders before rolling out such consequential policies.

We also encourage the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Assembly Committees on Health and Education to defend the legal mandate of MLSCN and ensure that the integrity of healthcare professions is not undermined by well-meaning but misguided directives.

Conclusion

The future of Nigeria’s health system cannot be built on policy shortcuts. The MLSCN’s role in the accreditation and regulation of Medical Laboratory Science training is non-negotiable. Excluding the Council not only violates the law but also exposes the country to significant public health risks.

This is not a turf war—it is a matter of protecting lives, preserving standards, and ensuring that professionalism is not sacrificed on the altar of administrative convenience.

We demand the immediate recognition of MLSCN as one of the professional bodies authorized to accredit academic programmes within its mandate, in collaboration with NUC. Anything less is a direct affront to legal order, professional integrity, and national health security.

Signed

Adélékè O. Ọláolúwa (Olúọmọ)
Secretary
AMLSN
Ikeja Chapter
oluomoadeleke@gmail.com