Nurses affiliated with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Abuja chapter, staged a protest today opposing the recently issued certification verification guidelines by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Expressing dissatisfaction, the nurses accused the council of impeding their career opportunities and called for attention to issues such as nurses’ welfare, salary scale, staff shortages, and other rights.
The demonstration took place at the NMCN’s office in Abuja and was closely monitored by our correspondent.
The NMCN had, on February 7, 2024, released a circular revising the certification verification guidelines for nurses and midwives after The PUNCH reported the deactivation of the verification portal in December 2023.
According to the circular signed by the Registrar, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, applicants are required to pay a non-refundable fee for verification to foreign nursing boards. The guidelines also specified criteria such as a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience, a letter of good standing, and active practicing licenses with at least six months to expiry.
The protesters, carrying placards with messages addressing unemployment, quackery, nurses’ welfare, and expressing opposition to the verification rules, demanded that the council address their concerns. The NMCN’s guidelines are set to take effect from March 1, 2024.
More details later…
