A fresh recruitment controversy has emerged around Yaba College of Technology after nursing professionals questioned a qualification requirement attached to the institution’s Nursing Assistant vacancy.
YABATECH’s recruitment advert lists an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate as one of two certificates that applicants can use to qualify for the position.
The alternative is a Health Assistant Certificate from a College of Health Technology.
Both are listed alongside a requirement for five O’Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics at not more than two sittings.
The requirement has prompted discussion among nursing professionals over the appropriate qualifications for healthcare support positions.
The controversy is centred on the Nursing Assistant vacancy and should not be confused with YABATECH’s separate Nursing Officer II position.
For Nursing Officer II, the institution requires a good Bachelor’s degree in Nursing with a minimum of Second-Class Lower Division and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The difference between the requirements reflects the separate categories of the two positions.
Nursing Assistant is listed among the college’s non-teaching vacancies.
Nursing Officer II, meanwhile, is a professional nursing position requiring university-level nursing education and professional registration.
The recruitment advert gives Nursing Assistant a salary grade of CONTEDISS 04, while Nursing Officer II is listed at CONPCASS 08.
The different grades and qualification requirements show that the institution does not treat the positions as equivalent.
Nevertheless, nursing professionals have questioned whether an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate should be accepted for the Nursing Assistant position.
The discussion has brought renewed attention to healthcare staffing and the qualifications required for different categories of personnel.
For YABATECH, the published recruitment criteria provide the framework for the current exercise.
Applicants for Nursing Assistant are expected to meet the O’Level requirements and possess one of the two specified certificates.
The institution’s online recruitment portal provides further instructions.
Applicants must create an account or log in, select the vacancy, complete the biodata form and upload a signed letter of application, detailed curriculum vitae and relevant academic and professional qualifications.
The college has also indicated that only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.
The vacancy has been circulated by employment platforms, which have reproduced the qualification requirement and identified the position as being based in Lagos.
The public availability of the recruitment details has allowed prospective applicants and professionals to scrutinise the criteria.
The debate also highlights the importance of job titles.
A Nursing Assistant is not the same position as a Nursing Officer II, even though both roles involve nursing-related duties.
The requirements published by YABATECH make this distinction explicit.
For the Nursing Officer II position, a candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and be registered with the NMCN.
For Nursing Assistant, the college accepts the auxiliary or health assistant certificate specified in the advertisement.
The controversy therefore centres on whether the Nursing Assistant qualification is appropriate for the duties associated with that role.
The official advert does not state that an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate qualifies someone to work as a Nursing Officer II.
It is specifically listed under the Nursing Assistant position.
The recruitment exercise also covers numerous other academic and non-teaching vacancies, showing that YABATECH is recruiting across several areas.
As applicants proceed with their applications, the published requirements remain the immediate criteria for eligibility.
The debate among nursing professionals may continue, particularly if professional bodies or the college provide additional clarification.
For now, however, YABATECH’s position in the recruitment advert is unambiguous.
Applicants seeking the Nursing Assistant position must possess the required O’Level credits and either an Auxiliary Nurse Certificate from a registered health facility or a Health Assistant Certificate from a College of Health Technology.
Applicants seeking Nursing Officer II face a separate and higher professional qualification requirement.
The controversy has therefore put the Nursing Assistant vacancy under a brighter spotlight, while also highlighting the importance of clearly defining qualification standards across Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.
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