Abuja, Lagos: Nurses Rally Against New Guidelines for Verifying Certifications
Protests have begun by nurses in Abuja and Lagos, united under the banner of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, in response to the Nigeria and Midwifery Council of Nigeria's revised verification certification requirements.
"Quackery, address nurses' welfare”, “address unemployment among nurses”, and “#No to verification rules," were some of the messages written on the placards displayed at the protest.
“Stop frustrating the Nigerian nurses; we are going through a lot already. Protect nurses, protect healthcare, NMCN; we say no to the verification rules, NMCN; don’t reduce nurses.”
The nurses believe that the new development was an effort to limit their autonomy in seeking out other employment possibilities was the source of their complaints.
They urge the council to take action on nurses' rights, pay equity, staffing shortages, and welfare.
You may recall that on February 7, 2024, the NMCN published a memo updating the procedures for obtaining certification verification for midwives and nurses.
The closure of the verification gateway on NMCN's website from December 2023 was reported, leading to the publishing of the council's memo.
The memo signed by the Registrar of the Council, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, read: “A non-refundable fee per application shall be paid for verification by foreign boards of nursing as specified on the portal. This shall cover the cost of courier services to the applicant’s institution(s) of training, place of work, and foreign board."
“Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing license. Any application with a provisional license shall be rejected outright."