The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has clarified that its new MDCN CPD Training Platform is not compulsory for all medical practitioners in Nigeria, following concerns raised by doctors and other stakeholders.
The clarification was made by the Registrar of MDCN, Prof Fatima Kyari, after engagement with the Nigerian Medical Association National Officers Committee (NMA NOC) led by Prof Afekhide Ernest Omoti.
According to the statement shared by Dr (Prof) Olayinka Atilola, National Publicity Secretary of the NMA, the MDCN explained that the platform is only an additional option for healthcare professionals to access Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses required for licence renewal and professional practice.
“The MDCN CPD Training Platform is optional and not compulsory,” the council stated.
The council also noted that the courses available on the platform are approved by MDCN but do not replace existing CPD providers already approved by the regulatory body.
This means doctors and other practitioners can still use other recognised CPD platforms to complete their mandatory training requirements.
MDCN further explained that while the platform will remain free for users until May 31, 2026, subscription fees will apply afterwards.
However, the council stated that some categories of practitioners will still have mandatory courses on the platform. These include house officers, NYSC doctors and MDCN resource persons.
According to the clarification, house officers and NYSC doctors will access the mandatory courses free for their first two years after graduation, covering the period of housemanship and the National Youth Service Corps programme.
The MDCN also stressed that CPD itself remains compulsory for practitioners regardless of the platform used.
“CPD will remain a compulsory policy of the MDCN, irrespective of the platform from which such CPD trainings are sourced from,” the statement added.
The NMA NOC said it will continue engaging members who require more clarification on the issue.
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