A multitude of nurses affiliated with the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) have mobilized in Abuja, expressing their discontent with the recently enforced verification regulations set forth by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
The disgruntled nurses, who gathered at the NMCN headquarters on Monday, condemned the council for impeding their professional ambitions with what they deemed excessively strict and unnecessary guidelines. They brandished signs displaying messages such as “We reject the verification rules!” and “Prioritize nurses’ well-being.”
The source of their frustration originated from a circular published by the NMCN on February 7th. This circular provides updated instructions for nurses who are applying for certification verification to work overseas. The revised guidelines now require a minimum of two years of experience after obtaining their qualifications, a letter of good standing from both the employer and training institution, and a processing period of at least six months. Their discontent arose from these new regulations.
The excerpt from the circular, issued by Dr. Faruk Abubakar, the Registrar of the council, stated: “A non-refundable fee per application shall be paid for verification to 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 licence. Any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected outright.
“The council shall request a letter of good standing from the chief executive officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN. Please note that the council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.”
The guidelines will be in effect starting March 1, 2024, according to the statement.
