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Chuwang Emmanuel



Some students of Medical Laboratory Science of Taraba State University (TSU) Jalingo, on Friday, lamented over non- accreditation of their course while Speaking to Universal Reporters

This newspaper gathered that the department was established in 2017 under Vincent Tenebe, who was then the Vice Chancellor.


Medical laboratory science is a department under the College of medical science, it is a five years course plus a one-year internship and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).


It is accredited and regulated by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria. (MLSCN).



A final-year female student of the department, who did not want her name to be mentioned, told Universal Reporters that she found out that her course has not been accredited last year when the last set are yet to graduate due to lack of accreditation by the MLSCN.


“While other departments were working on mobilizing their graduates for NYSC, except ours, and when we discovered that the last graduating students are yet to be issued any form of certificate, we asked why it was so, we were told that our course was not yet fully accredited.” She said,


“The management has promised severally that the course will be accredited soon but we are tired of hearing soon. Our parents are worried about our current situation.


The students also pointed out that there was no laboratory equipment where they could conduct their teaching practice which they claimed is the reason hindering the accreditation.


“We discovered that the lack of teaching equipment for laboratory practicals is one of the major reasons for delaying the accreditation by the council.”


“Medical laboratory science students are among the departments that pay the highest tuition fees in the university yet we lack basic facilities for our accreditation and also for constant practical.”


“We pay over a N100 thousand naira each session while other departments are paying less than N60 thousand per session, yet we are not being given attention.


“The school authority and state government had no plans for our department.” She lamented.


Another 500-level student of the department who only identified himself as Victor for fear of victimization alleged that the university administration did not inform them of the situation when seeking for admission.


He said it was in his 300 level that he discovered that his course was not accredited and he became devastated.


Victor said he was consoled when a top official of the institution told him that the department was given partial accreditation and would begin the process of full accreditation.


“I am shocked and confused that I am now in my final year the issue of the accreditation is not yet resolved.” He stated in tears.


“Imagine those that graduated before us are suffering due to the situation, I feel it is a bad thing when you admit students for courses that are yet to get full accreditation. It is always the students that suffer it because their academic journey gets delayed as they won’t be able to graduate or go for service until the issue is solved.”


“The university is making money from the situation because they keep deceiving and admitting students into those departments every year.


“NUC should monitor and ensure that no university admits students into departments that are not fully accredited,” he said.

“Imagine the time and resources we have so far spent only to find ourselves in this mess.”


MLSCN Position.


Universal Reporters investigations show that graduates of medical and laboratory science from institutions not accredited by MLSCN cannot graduate and practice in Nigeria.


Because they must write the council exams and pass them before they graduate and also be issued a professional certificate of practice.

“For any institution that has not gone through MLSCN accreditation, the student stands not to practice as far as Nigeria is concerned. After studying for five years. MLSCN will license them to practice, if anyone is not licensed, we refer him as a quack.” Abel James, a laboratory scientist told UNIVERSALREPORTERS.


According to the MLSCN website, there are thirty-three universities offering medical laboratory science in Nigeria, both federal, state, and private universities.


Further findings show that out of the eleven state universities offering the programme TSU which is currently running the course is not included.


The implication is that all students studying the programme in the institution cannot qualify to practice after completion until the issue of accreditation is resolved.


Appeal by the students


We are calling on the state government under the leadership of the new state governor Agbu Kefas to intervene to see that our course gets accreditation.


According to the embattled students if the programme is not accredited their future would be put in jeopardy.


They also called for the purchase and upgrade of facilities at the department to ensure speedy accreditation.


TSU refused to speak on the matter


Calls and text messages to the director of public relations of the university were not responded to at the time this report was filed.


Source: Universal Report