The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has reopened its verification portal for nurses and midwives, allowing them to submit verification requests online.
Checks on the NMCN portal on Saturday confirmed the reopening, which took place on Friday. The portal now displays a message stating, “Good news, verification requests are back online.” It also notes that expiration dates for renewal applications will now be calculated from the date of application.
Anthony Ijeoma, a nurse at Nursingworld Nigeria, confirmed the development and praised the efforts of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) for helping to make this possible. “I commend NMCN for listening to reason and reopening the verification portal for nurses within and outside the country,” he said Punch
Earlier this year, the sudden deactivation of the portal in February caused difficulties for many Nigerian nurses and midwives working abroad, particularly in the UK and the US. Many found themselves in violation of visa conditions and employment laws, with some being forced to return to Nigeria due to the lack of verification from NMCN.
On February 7, the NMCN had issued new guidelines for requesting certificate verification, which included a requirement for a minimum of two years post-qualification experience. It also mandated letters of good standing from both the chief executive of the applicant’s workplace and their last nursing training institution. These letters were to be sent directly to the NMCN Registrar/CEO.
The new guidelines led to protests from nurses and midwives across various states, including Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Ebonyi, and others. Some professionals even took legal action against the NMCN, though the case was eventually withdrawn. The House of Representatives also intervened, urging the council to halt its revised guidelines.
The nurses argued that the council’s actions aimed to restrict their ability to seek career opportunities abroad, linking it to government efforts to curb the emigration of healthcare workers.
On Friday, NANNM President Michael Nnachi reiterated the association’s demands, including the reopening of the verification portal, payment of salaries for NMCN staff, the establishment of a board, and the creation of a special salary structure or a review of nurses’ professional allowances. He urged the Federal Government to address these concerns with urgency.
