Thousand of Nigerian nurses have been rendered stranded abroad following closure of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, portal to enable employers outside the country verify certificates of Nigerian nurses. It was learned that while many nurses are currently stranded in different countries outside Nigeria with their faith hanging in a balance, others are likely of being deported.
Nursing in countries like the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK are said to have stopped accepting nursing certificates from Nigerian nurses for the fact that those certificate cannot be authenticated in this era of certificate forgery.
It was learned that that the National Assembly had on two occasions urged the NMCN to open its website and commence verification of Nurses and Midwives based on its former guidelines pending the conclusion of an investigation by the House Committee on Health Institutions.
However, the council is yet to comply with the resolution of the House and which is hunting their members abroad.
The latest directive was a letter dated 13th August 2024, titled “Negative Portrayal of the House’s Resolution” and was signed by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal, to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The resolution of the lawmakers followed a motion raised by Hon. Patrick Umoh on matters of urgent national importance on the need to safeguard institutional integrity and address any misinterpretation of the previous House’s Resolution by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Recalls the lawmakers had earlier urged the NMCN through a resolution on Tuesday, 26th, February 2024, not to implement the revised Guidelines for Verification dated February 7, 2023, pending outcome of investigation by the House.
Earlier, some stakeholders in the health sector had raised their concerns over the new circular by the NMCN, revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives to foreign nursing boards or councils.
Many also called for a review of the circular’s contents to avoid a situation where nurses’ progress and development are subject to other professionals’ determination.
How it Started
In February 2024, the NMCN expressed worry that over 42,000 nurses left the country in the last three years to seek greener pastures in foreign countries.
According to the council, out of the number over 15,000 nurses left Nigeria in 2023 alone.
Although the development is coming amist poor healthcare infrastructure, inadequate funding, poor welfare, and working conditions in the health sector.
Seemingly worried by the imminent threat of brain drain in the nation’s health sector, the Council decided to introduce revised guidelines for verifying nursing certificates to address the crisis.
Subsequently, the NMCN, through a memo dated February 7, 2024, outlined the revised guidelines and requirements to be met by all applicants seeking the verification of certificate(s) to foreign nursing boards/councils.
The condition stated that applicants seeking verification of certificates to foreign nursing boards and councils must have two years of qualification experience and pay a non-refundable application fee.
The memo signed by the Registrar/Secretary General of NMCN, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, was sent to the Commissioners/Secretary of Health Services; Chief Medical Directors/ Medical Directors; National President; Directors of Nursing Services; Heads of Department; Provosts & Principals; Coordinators; Zonal Officers; All States Ministry of Health & Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; University Teaching Hospitals/Specialist & Federal Medical Centre and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, National Headquarters, Abuja.
The circular was also sent to the Ministries of Health, Hospitals Management Boards, All States & Federal Capital Territory; All Universities Offering Nursing Programmes; Colleges of Nursing Sciences, Schools of Nursing & Midwifery, All Post-Basic Nursing Programmes; All Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Zonal Offices.
It provided that, “Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two (2) years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence. Any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected out rightly.
“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, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Please note that the Council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.
“Applicants must have an active practising licence with a minimum of six months to the expiration date. Applicants must upload Certificate(s) of Registration only. Notification of Registration is not acceptable.
“The applicant shall receive prompt notice via his/her email and dashboard on the status of the verification application.
“Please note: Processing of verification application takes a minimum of six (6) months. All applicants shall ensure that complete requirements are met before initiating verification application as incomplete documentation shall not be processed.”
However, nurses and other health workers kicked against the policy, insisting the guidelines and requirements were typical of a denial of human rights.
The health workers stressed that there had never been any occasion where regulatory bodies asked for work experience or mandated years of service as a condition for verification.
They are particularly uncomfortable with the provision in the guidelines which stated that a nurse seeking NMCN certification must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience.
They are also opposed to the requirement that a nurse applying for NMCN’s certification must obtain a letter of good standing from the Chief Executive Officer of their place of work and the last training institution attended while the processing of application shall take a minimum of six months.
As a protest against the policy, the nurses, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Abuja, and Lagos chapters, took to the streets to express their disapproval of the new circular.
The nurses converged on the NMCN’s offices in Abuja and Lagos to express their dissatisfaction.
They also threatened a nationwide strike, describing the new guidelines as an effort to hamper their freedom.
Meanwhile, some others took to social networks to protest against the policy.
A group of nurses also took legal action against the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Minister of Health, among others, challenging the recent revisions to certificate verification guidelines.
Though, it was learned that the litigation has been withdrawn.
