The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the United Kingdom has disclosed evidence of widespread fraud at the Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria. This revelation follows an alert issued by the NMC in May, expressing concerns about the registration of 512 Nigerian nurses and midwives who passed their computer-based test (CBT) at the Ibadan center, suspecting potential fraud or inaccuracies.
Yunnik Technologies Test Centre is one of the facilities where Nigerian nurses and midwives seeking to practice in the UK take a CBT to evaluate their clinical and numeracy competence.
In a press statement, the NMC indicated that although most individuals who took the CBT at the Yunnik center did not join the register fraudulently, there is substantial evidence of widespread fraud at the center. The council stated that it cannot have confidence in any CBT result from this test center and considers all CBTs obtained at Yunnik as invalid.
The NMC explained its approach to the affected professionals on the register, mentioning that 48 of them achieved their scores in a manner suggesting possible fraudulent activities. These cases will be referred to an independent panel, an Investigating Committee, to determine whether fraudulent entry occurred. Individuals facing such allegations will have opportunities to retake the CBT and provide information about the circumstances surrounding their initial test. If found guilty, they may be removed from the register, with the right to appeal.
For the remaining 467 professionals on the register who took their CBT at Yunnik but are not facing allegations of fraud, their CBT results are still considered invalid. They will be given three chances to retake the test to demonstrate their proficiency.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive and Registrar of the NMC, emphasized the council’s commitment to safeguarding public safety and maintaining the integrity of the nursing and midwifery register. She acknowledged the valuable contributions of internationally educated nurses and midwives to the UK’s health and social care system and expressed gratitude for the support of employers and partners throughout the regulatory process.
According to NMC data, a total of 3,383 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives were licensed to practice in the UK from April 1, 2022, to March 2023, with a total of 10,639 Nigerian nurses and midwives practicing in the UK.