The Abuja chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives staged a protest on Monday against the recent verification certification guidelines released by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
Expressing their discontent, the nurses criticized what they perceived as an encroachment on their freedom to pursue career opportunities.
They demanded that the NMCN address issues such as nurses’ welfare, salary scales, staff shortages, and other rights.
The protest took place at the NMCN office in Abuja.
The NMCN had issued a circular on February 7, 2024, revising the guidelines for certificate verification for nurses and midwives. This circular followed the deactivation of the verification portal on the NMCN’s website since December 2023, as reported by PUNCH Healthwise.
According to the circular signed by the Registrar of the council, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, applicants must pay a non-refundable fee per application for verification to foreign nursing boards.
Eligible applicants are required to have a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience, hold active practicing licenses, and submit a letter of good standing from their workplaces and last nursing training institutions. The processing of verification applications would take a minimum of six months, with the guidelines set to take effect from March 1, 2024.
In response to these developments, the protesting nurses and midwives gathered at the NMCN office, singing and carrying placards. Some of the placards expressed concerns about unemployment among nurses, addressed issues of quackery, and demanded the protection of nurses and healthcare.
Additionally, the Lagos State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives called for the immediate reversal and withdrawal of the new circular. The council emphasized the need for the NMCN to digitalize the verification process fully and transmit decisions to other regulatory councils.
The Secretary of the Lagos State Council of NANNM, Toba Odumosu, questioned certain aspects of the circular and its potential impact on the progress and welfare of its members, urging positive intervention from the NMCN.
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