Reality Check 3: The 23-Year Siege on the Nigerian Scientist

"Sometimes, the loudest noise in the world is the silence of a system that refuses to see you."

My name is John Egwakhide Unuane, and I am a Microbiologist. But according to the current Nigerian regulatory landscape, I am also a ghost.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately looking at the "confused" look people give me when I talk about my work. They see my degree from the University of Benin, my ALX graduation, and my work in Tech-Retail, and they wonder why I’m not in a lab. The truth? I was locked out. And I’m not the only one.

The "Professional" Gaslight

"Microbiology isn't a professional course."

Every time I hear those words, I feel a surge of pure, unadulterated frustration. It is a phrase that dismisses years of sleepless nights, complex biochemical pathways, and thousands of hours spent mastering sterile techniques in the lab. It leads to one fundamental, burning question: What exactly makes a field "professional" in my country, Nigeria? Is it the difficulty of the curriculum? Because if it is, I have some questions for the gatekeepers. I spent four years navigating a curriculum designed to break the weak. I sat for grueling exams in:

• Medical & Diagnostic: Immunology, Virology, Pathogenic Microbiology, Epidemiology.

• Applied Science: Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Petroleum Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology.

• Industry: Food and Industrial Microbiology, Quality Assurance, Biodeterioration.

• The Foundations: Genetics, Bacteriology, and countless "borrowed" courses from Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Biotechnology.

I mastered sterile procedures, biochemical pathways, and the delicate art of culturing life from nothing. Yet, the moment I held my degree, the system told me I was "under-qualified."

The Gatekeeping of Competence

In the Nigerian system, "professional" has become a code word for "licensed by a self-centered regulatory body." We spend years gaining competency in a critical sector, only to be told we are "unqualified" to practice the very science we mastered.

Where is the equity? Have microbiology students been given the chance to sit for these "professional" exams and failed? No. We aren’t even allowed in the room.

The Ultimate Irony: The SLT Internship

Here is a reality check that still irks me to this day: During my university days, I watched Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) students, who chose the Microbiology option, get posted to our department’s labs for their internships.

Think about that. If our department was "non-professional" and our graduates "unqualified," why were their "professional" students coming to us to learn the craft? Why were our labs the training ground for the very people the system would later prioritize over us? It is the biggest, trashiest joke of the century.

The 23-Year Legislative Graveyard

To the younger ones entering the department today: You need to know how long this game has been played. This isn't "unluckiness"—it is legislative capture.

• 2003: The MLSCN and NISLT Acts are passed. These laws effectively built a wall around the clinical laboratory, locking out pure Microbiologists.

• 2005–2015: For over a decade, we watched from the sidelines as our sister departments secured their "professional" status while we remained in a regulatory vacuum.

• May 2023: After twenty years of advocacy, the Microbiology Council Bill (HB. 2222) finally passed its Third Reading in the 9th Assembly. But the transition of government happened before the President could sign it. The clock reset.

• April 2026: We are still waiting. Twenty-three years of "harmonization" while the gates remain locked.

The Forced Pivot

Because of this "professional" label, microbiologists are often forced away from the medical and diagnostic fields that resonate with them. We are pushed into food or industrial microbiology, not by choice, but because the clinical path is guarded by gatekeepers who have prioritized turf wars over national health.

A Message to the "Board": If Microbiology is "not professional," then be honest with the millions of children applying to universities. Scrap the course. Delete it from the curriculum. Don't waste our lives and our parents' money if you plan to treat our certificates like worthless paper in the healthcare sector.

My Signal in the Noise

For a long time, this felt like failure. I even dropped out of programs along the way because the noise of the "unqualified" label was too loud. But standing here today, I’ve found my signal. I realized I didn’t have to wait for a "professional" badge to be an asset. I took the precision of a Microbiologist, the narrative of a Photographer, and the strategy of a Data Analyst to build my own ecosystem.

• In Business: I use my scientific mind to drive market penetration and economic growth.

• In Advocacy: I use the head of a specialist to serve the heart of SDG 4 (Quality Education) and support SDG 8 (Decent Work) at HEdEF.

The system resists integration because it is easier for the government to maintain silos than to merge curricula. They protect the "brand" to ensure lower competition, while Nigeria wastes thousands of trained minds who could be bolstering our biosecurity.

To My Fellow Scientists: Your Pain is Valid

To the student currently staining slides and wondering if there is a place for you: Your diversity is your competitive advantage. The world doesn't need people who only know one thing; it needs people who can bridge worlds.

We are the ones who understand the invisible forces shaping human survival. Whether they give us a badge or not, we are the masterpiece. If the system won't build a lab for you, use your scientific mind to build a world they can’t control.

Next time you see me, don’t wonder which world I’m in. I’m right where I’m supposed to be: at the intersection where Industry meets Impact. Cheers to the milestones we’ve reached, the courage to be different, and the accomplishments that haven't happened yet. 

— John Egwakhide Unuane