Lagos, Nigeria – March 18, 2025
For 26-year-old Aisha Ibrahim, a recent graduate of the University of Lagos’ Bachelor of Nursing Science program, the dream of becoming a registered nurse feels agonizingly out of reach. After five years of rigorous academic training, she now spends her days refreshing hospital websites, anxiously waiting for responses to internship applications that never seem to come. “I thought graduation would be the beginning of my career,” she laments. “Instead, it’s turned into a waiting game I’m not sure I’ll win.”
Aisha’s story is not unique. Across Nigeria, thousands of nursing graduates are facing a harsh reality—the struggle to secure mandatory internship placements, a crucial requirement for obtaining their licenses from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Despite the growing demand for skilled healthcare workers, these aspiring nurses are being sidelined by a broken system.
A Growing Crisis
The one-year internship program is a fundamental aspect of nursing education in Nigeria, designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Graduates like Chukwudi, 24, who earned his degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, see it as “the final step before becoming a real nurse.” Yet, for many, this step is proving impossible to take.
“I applied to five teaching hospitals,” Chukwudi recalls. “Three never replied, one said they were full, and the last hinted that I needed a ‘connection’ to get in.”
The situation is worsening as the number of nursing graduates continues to rise—estimated at over 5,000 annually from universities nationwide—far exceeding the available internship slots in accredited hospitals. Public healthcare institutions, which are the primary providers of these placements, struggle with underfunding and overwhelming patient loads. Reports from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) suggest that fewer than 100 internship positions are available each year, despite hundreds of applicants.
Internship Slots for Sale
Beyond the limited slots, a more troubling issue looms—internship placements are reportedly being sold to desperate graduates. Multiple nursing graduates who spoke to our correspondent under anonymity revealed that some hospitals demand payments ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦300,000 in exchange for an internship position.
One graduate, who requested anonymity, shared her experience: “After months of rejections, I finally got a call from a hospital administrator. He told me outright that securing the internship would cost ₦300,000. I didn’t have the money, so I lost the opportunity.”
Another nurse confirmed that while some hospitals openly request payment, others operate more discreetly by deducting the bribe from the interns’ monthly salaries. “A friend of mine got in after agreeing to a ‘salary deduction’ scheme, where part of her pay is taken until she clears the ‘placement fee,’” she revealed.
Sex for Internship: The Silent Scandal
Perhaps even more disturbing is the revelation that some female nursing graduates are coerced into exchanging sex for an internship slot. Several interviewees reported being approached by hospital officials and senior staff with such propositions.
A nursing graduate from Abuja recounted her ordeal: “During one of my interviews, the officer in charge of selection implied that ‘things could be easier for me’ if I was willing to be ‘flexible.’ I knew exactly what he meant. I left the hospital in tears, knowing I had no chance without complying.”
While no one was willing to be named publicly for fear of repercussions, these accounts paint a damning picture of corruption and exploitation within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Human Cost of Delay
The consequences of this bottleneck are devastating. Fatima Yusuf, 25, graduated from Bayero University Kano two years ago and is still searching for a placement. “I’ve spent all my savings traveling to interviews in Abuja and Kaduna,” she shares. “The last hospital told me they hadn’t received funding to take interns in months.” Now, Fatima survives on odd jobs, her nursing textbooks gathering dust. “I feel like I’ve failed, even though I did everything right.”
Systemic Failures at Play
Experts attribute the crisis to deep-rooted systemic issues. Dr. Olufemi, a health policy analyst based in Abuja, highlights that while nursing programs have expanded rapidly due to increased demand, investments in training infrastructure have lagged. “Universities are churning out graduates, but hospitals can’t keep up,” he explains. “The government hasn’t scaled up funding or built new facilities to accommodate them.”
The NMCN, responsible for regulating nursing education and licensure, has been criticized for poor coordination with healthcare providers. Some hospitals delay intern recruitment due to budget constraints, while others lack the staff required to supervise trainees. “It’s a vicious cycle,” Dr. Adeyemi adds. “Underfunded hospitals can’t train nurses, and without trained nurses, the healthcare system remains understaffed.”
The Emotional and Economic Toll
The emotional impact on graduates is immense. Many report anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. “I wake up every day wondering if I wasted my youth,” says Aisha Ibrahim. “My parents sacrificed so much for my education, and I can’t even help them now.”
Beyond personal hardship, the crisis poses a serious economic threat. With Nigeria’s nurse-to-patient ratio at just 1.5 per 1,000—far below the World Health Organization’s recommended 4 per 1,000—the country is in dire need of these graduates. Maternal mortality rates remain among the highest globally, and rural clinics are critically understaffed. “We have a goldmine of talent that is being wasted,” laments Dr. Adeyemi.
A Call for Urgent Action
As frustration mounts, nursing graduates are taking their grievances to social media, using hashtags like #NursingInternshipNow to highlight their struggles and demand government intervention.
Experts suggest several potential solutions:
- Increased Funding for Public Hospitals: Expanding budget allocations would allow hospitals to accommodate more interns.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborations with private hospitals could create additional internship opportunities under strict regulatory oversight.
- A Centralized Application Portal: A transparent, standardized system managed by the NMCN could prevent corruption and streamline placements.
- Support for Rural Graduates: Travel grants or relocation assistance would enable those from less-developed areas to access better opportunities.
- Stricter Regulations on Internship Placements: Investigations into bribery and coercion must be carried out, with strict penalties for those found guilty of selling slots or exploiting applicants.
The Clock is Ticking
As of today, the plight of Nigerian nursing graduates remains unresolved. For Aisha, Fatima, Chukwudi, and thousands like them, each passing day without an internship is a lost opportunity—to build a career, support their families, and strengthen a healthcare system that desperately needs them.
Unconfirmed Sources from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) reports that from the half quarter of 2025, nursing graduates will no longer need to apply for internship placements in Nigeria as direct placement will be done centrally by the federal ministry of health and the NMCN. The question begging for answer is how feasible is this ?
If Nigeria is to address its healthcare workforce crisis and improve patient care nationwide, urgent reforms are needed. The government, policymakers, and healthcare leaders must act swiftly. The future of Nigeria’s nurses and the patients they long to serve depends on it.
Considering all the total duration undergraduate nurses spent in the hospitals praticalizing their profession while in the college, compared with other professional undergraduates, internship is not really necessary. We should stand firmly with our own curriculum complete plan, stop copying blindly and do not allow some confused, governmental policy and decision makers break our profession down. Governments will always prefer to bring Doctors in for Housemanship and Pharmacists for internship
with their funds, but leave the Nurses in the cold. Thanks.
Are you saying other professionals don’t have practical experience during their trainings , yet they still go for internship. What makes nursing different?