Nigerian nurses raise alarm over 100% rise in MCPDP fees

Nigerian nurses raise alarm over 100% rise in MCPDP fees

Nigerian nurses are up in arms over a reported 100% increase in fees for the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP), describing the new charges as exploitative and insensitive to their current economic realities.

The fee for a standard 3 Credit Unit MCPDP module has reportedly jumped from ₦20,000 to ₦40,000. Since nurses are required to complete two modules (6 Credit Units) every three years to renew their practising licence, many now face a bill of ₦80,000 for MCPDP alone. When added to the licence renewal fee of approximately ₦20,000 (which was increased in September 2025), the total cost of renewing a licence now stands at around ₦100,000.

What is MCPDP?

The Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) is a regulatory requirement by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). It is designed to ensure that nurses and midwives stay updated with current knowledge, skills, and best practices. Nurses must earn 6 Credit Units within every three-year licensing cycle, with at least one module being the official MCPDP.

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For years, the fee remained relatively stable at ₦20,000 per module despite years of high inflation. The sudden doubling has therefore caught many nurses off guard.

Crushing financial burden on nurses

The new fees are hitting nurses hard, especially those working in private hospitals and primary healthcare centres who already earn far below a living wage.

Here’s the reality many nurses are facing:

• A ₦100,000 renewal cost equals more than one month’s salary for thousands of nurses.
• Junior nurses in private facilities often earn between ₦30,000 and ₦60,000 monthly.
• Even many federal and state-employed nurses take home between ₦80,000 and ₦150,000 after deductions.
• Additional costs for transportation, accommodation, feeding, and time off work push the real expense even higher.

One nurse described the development as “adding salt to injury,” noting that many of their colleagues are already struggling with high inflation, unpaid salaries in some states, and the rising cost of living.

A quiet increase without explanation

Unlike the licence renewal fee increase, which was officially announced in September 2025, the MCPDP fee hike appears to have been implemented quietly by organisers without a clear public statement from the NMCN.

This lack of transparency has further angered nurses, who argue that professional regulatory bodies should engage stakeholders before imposing such heavy financial burdens.

Why this increase is problematic

While continuing professional development is important, experts and nurses alike argue that the current approach is flawed:

• With one of the largest nursing workforces in Africa, the programme should benefit from economies of scale, not become more expensive.
• Many developed countries subsidise or provide low-cost/online CPD options for health workers.
• Imposing high fees risks reducing participation, which could ultimately affect the quality of care nurses are expected to deliver.
• At a time when the country is battling brain drain in the health sector, policies that further frustrate nurses may push more of them to seek opportunities abroad.

Nurses demand fairness and review

Nurses and professional groups are calling on the NMCN, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the Federal Ministry of Health to immediately review the fee increase.

Key demands include:

• Reverting to the old fee or implementing any increase gradually
• Expanding accredited online MCPDP options to reduce travel and accommodation costs
• Introducing subsidies or waivers for nurses in underserved and low-paying facilities
• Greater transparency and stakeholder consultation before future fee reviews

The bigger picture

Nurses form the backbone of Nigeria’s healthcare system. They work long hours under difficult conditions, often with poor welfare and delayed promotions. Forcing them to pay nearly ₦100,000 just to keep their licence while many earn less than the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 is being widely viewed as unfair and counterproductive.

As one circulating appeal put it:

“Maintaining a practising licence should not become a financial burden that limits employment and career opportunities.”

The Fellow Nurses Africa is watching closely to see how the NMCN and NANNM will respond to this growing outcry.

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Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa.