MDCAN Threatens Strike Over Exclusion from Nnamdi Azikiwe University VC Position

The Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has threatened industrial action in response to alleged exclusion from the vice-chancellor position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka. The association issued a communiqué following an emergency meeting, condemning the vacancy advertisement's requirements as unfair.

The advertisement states that candidates must possess a first degree, a master’s degree, and a PhD, which MDCAN argues do not reflect the academic pathways of clinical lecturers. The association claims this criteria is a deliberate attempt to exclude members from the faculties of medicine and basic medical sciences.

MDCAN has called for the withdrawal of the advertisement within seven days, warning that failure to do so will result in the withdrawal of all medical and clinical lecturers from academic functions at the university. The association has requested that future advertisements include a postgraduate medical fellowship requirement instead of a master’s degree, asserting that the current conditions deviate from previous standards.

The association urged the university council to act swiftly to avoid disruptions in medical education.