A social media post by William Oyelakin II on February 18 has sparked debate over the duration of Medicine and Surgery programmes in some Nigerian public universities.
In the post, Oyelakin advised prospective students to avoid studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University if they do not want to “graduate at old age.” He claimed that students risk spending longer than the stipulated academic period and suggested private universities as a preferable alternative.
Several commenters shared similar concerns. A user identified as Oluwatosin Oluwatosin alleged that programmes in the two institutions could extend from six years to eight years and six months. Another commenter, Ibrahim Abdus Salam, asked whether the situation at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology had been considered.
Ridwan Abubakar further claimed that Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Bayero University Kano experience similar or worse delays. Sanusi Usman alleged that some students admitted in 2019 at Ahmadu Bello University were still in 400 level, while their counterparts at University of Maiduguri and Bayero University Kano had progressed further.
Medicine and Surgery is traditionally structured as a six year programme in Nigerian universities. However, academic calendars in some public institutions have in the past been disrupted by industrial actions, accreditation issues, or administrative challenges, leading to extensions in graduation timelines.
The institutions mentioned have not issued official responses to the specific claims circulating online.
