Hundreds of Nigerian nurses are stranded following the continued closure of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) portal for certificate verification.
As a result, many nurses are stuck in various countries abroad, and some are at risk of deportation because foreign nursing boards in countries like the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK are unable to verify the authenticity of their Nigerian nursing certificates.
The National Assembly has twice called on the NMCN to reopen its portal and resume certificate verification based on the council’s former guidelines, pending the conclusion of an investigation by the House Committee on Health Institutions. However, the council has not complied with the resolution.
A letter dated August 13, 2024, from the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal, criticised the NMCN for negatively portraying the House’s resolution. This followed a motion raised by Hon. Patrick Umoh, emphasising the need to uphold institutional integrity and clarify any misinterpretations of the House’s directives. Earlier, on February 26, 2024, the House had also urged the NMCN not to implement its revised guidelines for verification, issued on February 7, 2023, until the investigation was completed.
The controversy began in February 2024 when the NMCN expressed concern over the mass exodus of over 42,000 nurses from Nigeria in the past three years, seeking better opportunities abroad. In 2023 alone, more than 15,000 nurses reportedly left the country, driven by inadequate healthcare infrastructure, poor funding, and unsatisfactory working conditions.
To address the crisis, the NMCN introduced new guidelines for certificate verification. These guidelines require applicants to have at least two years of post-qualification experience and pay a non-refundable application fee. Additional requirements include an active practicing licence with a minimum of six months remaining before expiration and a letter of good standing from the applicant’s employer and the last training institution attended.
However, these new guidelines have faced widespread criticism from nurses and other health workers, who argue that the requirements are excessive and violate their rights. They particularly object to the mandated two-year post-qualification experience and the letter of good standing requirement, claiming that no other professional regulatory bodies impose such conditions for certificate verification.
In response, nurses, under the banner of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), protested at the NMCN offices in Abuja and Lagos. They threatened a nationwide strike and described the new guidelines as an attempt to restrict their freedom. Some nurses also took legal action against the NMCN and the Minister of Health, although the litigation was later withdrawn.
A nurse from a major teaching hospital in Nigeria, speaking anonymously to avoid victimisation, expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in reopening the verification portal despite the National Assembly’s directive. She stated that the NMCN secretary has attributed the delay to ongoing work with IT specialists to reset the portal to its previous configuration.
The Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN) has been negotiating with the NMCN to resolve the issue amicably. According to GNAN President Mr. Ojo Opeyemi, a coalition formed under the Director of Nursing Services in Abuja has been in talks with the NMCN Registrar to reopen the portal and revert to the old verification guidelines. The coalition agreed to withdraw its court case against the NMCN in exchange for further negotiations.
Mr. Opeyemi expressed optimism that the issue would soon be resolved, noting that many nurses are stranded abroad, with some facing imminent deportation due to the verification impasse.
Efforts to contact the NMCN and the President of NANNM for comments were unsuccessful. However, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government to address their demands, which include reopening the verification portal, improving nurses’ salaries, creating a Department of Nursing, gazetting the Unified Scheme of Service, and involving nurses in policymaking. The association warned that failure to meet these demands could lead to industrial action.
