Nurses affiliated with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Abuja chapter, staged a protest on Monday against the recent verification certification guidelines issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Expressing dissatisfaction with what they perceive as restrictions on their career advancement opportunities, the nurses demanded that the council prioritise concerns such as welfare, salary scale, staff shortages, and other rights.The demonstration, observed by newsmen, took place at the NMCN’s office in Abuja.
Recall that the Nursing and Midwifery Council issued a circular on February 7, 2024, revising the guidelines for certificate verification requests for nurses and midwives. This move followed reports by GOVIMA about the deactivation of the verification portal on the NMCN’s website since December 2023.
According to the circular signed by the Registrar, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, applicants are required to pay a non-refundable fee per application for verification to foreign nursing boards. The fee covers courier services to the applicant’s training institution(s), place of work, and the foreign board.
Furthermore, applicants must possess a minimum of two years post-qualification experience, hold an active practicing licence with at least six months remaining until expiration, and provide letters of good standing from their employers and the last attended training institution.
The processing of verification applications is expected to take a minimum of six months, with the guidelines slated to come into effect on March 1, 2024.
During the protest, nurses and midwives chanted and carried placards with messages urging the council to address issues such as unemployment, quackery, and welfare concerns. Some of the placards bore slogans like “No to verification rules,” “Stop frustrating Nigerian nurses,” and “Protect nurses, protect healthcare.”
The nurses emphasised their opposition to the new verification guidelines, citing existing challenges within the profession and urging the NMCN to reconsider its stance.
