BREAKING: NMCN Anti-Quackery Team Storms YABATECH Over ‘Auxiliary Nurse’ Job Advert

FNA News | Lagos Nigeria, 7th October 2026

The Lagos State Anti-Quackery Team, alongside representatives of the nursing profession, has visited Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) over a controversial recruitment advertisement that accepted an “Auxiliary Nurse Certificate” for a Nursing Assistant position.

The delegation visited the institution on Wednesday following concerns raised over the qualification requirements contained in YABATECH’s recent staff recruitment advert.

YABATECH’s official vacancy notice, published on 27 August 2026, listed Nursing Assistant among its non-teaching vacancies. The advert stated that applicants for the position must have five O’Level credits in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, as well as an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate issued by a registered health facility or a Health Assistant Certificate from a College of Health Technology.

The same advert separately listed Nursing Officer II, requiring a good Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).

Lagos team demands answers

The delegation was led by Dr Olawale Oladapo, Secretary of the Nursing and Midwifery Committee, Lagos State.

It included Mrs Omowunmi Ekong, Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, and Mr Toba Odumosu, Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Lagos State.

Dr Oladapo said the team had earlier written to YABATECH on 31 August 2026, with the letter received by the institution on 1 September, requesting the withdrawal of the advertisement.

According to him, the team’s concern was that “auxiliary nursing” is not a recognised cadre within the nursing profession in Nigeria.

He said the use of the designation could create confusion about who is qualified to provide nursing services and could potentially expose patients to care from people who do not meet the professional requirements for nursing practice.

The intervention, he said, was particularly significant because of YABATECH’s position as a major tertiary institution.

‘There is no auxiliary nurse cadre’ — Lagos Director of Nursing Services

Mrs Ekong reinforced the position of the Lagos nursing authorities, stating that there is no recognised “auxiliary nurse” cadre within the Nigerian nursing profession.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that people carrying out professional nursing functions are appropriately trained and regulated.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria maintains registers for recognised categories of nurses and midwives, including General Nurses and a range of specialist nursing categories. Its registration system is responsible for entering qualified nurses and midwives into the professional registers.

NMCN guidance also states that staff employed for professional nursing positions must meet the required professional qualifications, including registration and licensing where applicable.

Mrs Ekong urged YABATECH to ensure that relevant authorities within the institution, including its Chief Medical Director and Chief Nursing Officer, are involved before future recruitment advertisements relating to nursing positions are released.

NANNM raises separate concerns over 2025 recruitment

Mr Odumosu also raised concerns about another YABATECH recruitment advertisement allegedly published in 2025 for the position of Nursing Officer II.

He said the earlier advert described the position as being for a graduate nurse at Grade Level 8 and questioned aspects of the classification and recruitment conditions.

According to Odumosu, recruitment processes should reflect established professional standards and applicable conditions of service for nurses.

He said the issue had implications for the professional status and welfare of nurses.

YABATECH acknowledges earlier letter

The delegation was received by Mrs Henrietta Adebola Gbemisola Badejo, Registrar of Yaba College of Technology, alongside the Chief Medical Director of the institution’s clinic and its Chief Nursing Officer.

The Registrar acknowledged receipt of the delegation’s earlier letter.

She said the institution was working on the matter and assured the team that a formal response would be provided.

The Lagos delegation said its visit was prompted partly by the absence of a response to its earlier request for action on the advertisement.

Clinic nurses undergo verification

After the meeting, the delegation proceeded to the institution’s clinic to verify the professional status of nurses working there.

The exercise found that the nurses on duty were registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

That finding is significant because it separates two issues at the centre of the controversy: the qualification specified in the recruitment advertisement and the registration status of nurses already working at the institution’s clinic.

There was no indication from the verification exercise that the nurses found on duty were unregistered.

Why the YABATECH advert matters

The controversy goes beyond the wording of a single recruitment notice.

At the heart of the issue is the distinction between nursing support roles and regulated professional nursing practice.

YABATECH’s advert did not describe the disputed vacancy as a professional Nursing Officer position. It listed it as Nursing Assistant, CONTEDISS 04, while separately requiring NMCN registration for its Nursing Officer II vacancy.

However, the inclusion of an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate issued by a registered health facility as a qualification for the Nursing Assistant position has prompted questions from Lagos nursing stakeholders about the terminology, training pathway and scope of practice associated with such a qualification.

These questions are important because job titles and qualification requirements can influence public understanding of who is authorised to provide nursing care.

For patients, the distinction is equally important. Nursing is a regulated profession, and the qualifications and registration status of individuals providing professional nursing services are central to patient safety and accountability.

What happens next?

YABATECH has acknowledged the concerns raised by the Lagos delegation and said it would issue a formal response.

The institution’s own recruitment notice also states that the College reserves the right to amend or withdraw an advertised vacancy in accordance with applicable regulations.

The next step will therefore be closely watched by nurses, professional bodies and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector.

The episode also raises a wider question for employers across the country: when recruiting for nursing-related roles, are job titles, qualifications and scope of practice being clearly aligned with Nigeria’s existing regulatory framework?

For the nursing profession, the answer has implications not only for employment standards, but also for professional identity, patient safety and public confidence in healthcare.

Fellow Nurses Africa will continue to follow the matter and report YABATECH’s formal response when it becomes available.

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