Hundreds of 2024 graduates of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have raised concerns over the institution’s failure to issue their original certificates months after their convocation, a development they say is affecting their career progression.

The delay has particularly affected graduates of professional courses, including medicine, who require their certificates to complete mandatory registration with regulatory bodies before they can begin full practice.

One medical graduate said the situation had left many of them unable to secure full registration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), effectively preventing them from working.

“I have been at home for about two months because of this certificate issue,” the graduate said. “Without the certificate, the council cannot grant full registration, and without registration, we cannot practise.”

Several affected graduates said the situation has left them unable to apply for jobs or move forward professionally despite completing their studies and participating in the December 2024 convocation ceremony.

Sources within the institution attributed the delay to a transition to a newly redesigned certificate format, a process some graduates say has become a recurring challenge for recent sets.

According to one source, a previous graduating class reportedly waited more than a year before receiving their original certificates, raising concerns about persistent administrative bottlenecks.

The delay has also created a backlog for professional regulators, particularly in the health sector, where medical graduates cannot move from provisional to full registration without their certificates.

Affected graduates have appealed to the university’s Senate and management to expedite the printing and release of the documents to prevent further disruption to their careers.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the university management were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.