Narrating her experience in a video obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, the nurse (name yet to be ascertained) recounted how she was humiliated and abandoned by school officials despite notifying them of her condition months before the examination date.
A Nigerian nurse living with visual impairment has accused the Federal Neuropsychiatric School, Enugu, of discrimination and denying her reasonable accommodation during an entrance examination, an action she says made her unable to take the entrance examination and shattered her dream of specialising in mental health nursing.
Narrating her experience in a video obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, the nurse (name yet to be ascertained) recounted how she was humiliated and abandoned by school officials despite notifying them of her condition months before the examination date.
“This is me calling out the Federal Neuropsychiatric School in Enugu over what they did to me early this year (2025),” she said.
The nurse explained that she was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Atrophy in October 2024, a condition that causes degeneration of the optic nerve and severely impairs vision.
“This affected my life greatly in the most negative way you can think of,” she lamented.
“I am a Nigerian registered nurse, licensed in 2022, and I have been practising ever since. But in 2025, regardless of my recent medical situation, I decided to pursue my specialty in Mental Health. I am very passionate about mental health, and I decided to take it up as a specialty in nursing.”
According to her, after purchasing the admission form, she informed the school authorities through the Students’ Union Government president that she would require assistance during the examination.
“Prior to the exam date, I informed the school through the SUG President at that time. That I'm visually impaired and I might be needing help,” she said.
“I gave them three options: make my exam questions font bolder so that I won't have to strain my eyes to see; assign an examiner to assist me with reading out the questions, or give me extra time. Either of the three; just give me one, and I'm good.”
She added that she reminded the school again a few days before the examination, but received no feedback.
On the day of the examination, which was scheduled for 8:00 a.m., she arrived at the venue by 7:00 a.m. but said accreditation did not begin until 10:00 a.m., while the examination itself did not start until about 5:00 p.m.
She said, “A few days to the exam date, I reminded them. I did remind them. On the day of the exam, I got there as early as 7 a.m. for the exam that was set for 8 p.m.
“We waited for them to come, and they came by 10 a.m. They started the accreditation, and during the accreditation, I still met two of the examiners and reminded them of my request.
“The only thing they asked me to do was to come out of the sun and sit somewhere under a shade because the sun was affecting my vision.
“After the accreditation, they started the exam around 5 p.m., the exam that was set for 8 a.m., but I didn't have a problem with that, I just wanted to get it done and go home.”
She said trouble began shortly after the examination commenced, when none of the help she requested was provided.
“A few minutes into the exam, nobody was saying anything to me. I called one of the examiners and told her that I mentioned to the school that I have a visual problem, and nobody has said anything to me,” the nurse recalled.
But she said the response she received left her devastated.
“This woman looked me in the eyes and told me, ‘If you knew you were not able to read, why did you come to school?’ She said that with the most condescending look. She had this disdain on her face.
“I was too stunned to speak. I felt cold shivers run down my spine. I broke down and started crying. But she just walked away,” she said, fighting back tears in the video.
She said she consoled herself, wiped her tears, and met another examiner and told her about her situation
The examiner took her to meet the Provost, where she again explained her situation and offered to present her medical report.
“I explained everything to him and told him that I also had my medical report in case they wanted to confirm it.
“But he said, ‘There is nothing we can do for you.’ I said really? He said yes. I stood there, and I watched my dream be shattered right in front of me,” she lamented.
According to her, the Provost further told her to answer the ones she could see and leave the ones she could see, a statement she sees as cruel and unprofessional.
“This man proceeded to say to me, ‘You might as well answer the ones you can see and leave the ones you are not able to see.’
“Imagine being a mental health nurse and could not offer the least mental health support to an exam candidate. Your license needs to be withdrawn,” she said.
The nurse maintained that her passion for mental health remains strong despite the experience and that she is seeking admission in another institution that would accommodate persons with disabilities.
“I’m still out here looking out for schools where I can pursue a career in Mental Health because I really need to, for myself and for every other persons in my shoes,” she added.
Efforts to obtain a response from the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric School, Enugu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.