NMCN Reopens Verification Portal Exempting Nurses With Less Than 2 Years Work Experience

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has re-opened its verification portal with a new guideline mandating two years of post-qualification experience before issuing a certified license to nurses and midwives abroad.

As disclosed on Friday, the NMCN’s new guidelines, in addition to the two-year work experience, required that all nurses must tender their employment letter before being verified by the portal.

It will be recalled that on February 7, 2024, NMCN issued new guidelines for certificate verification, leading to widespread discontent and public outcry by nurses.

The guidelines also required nurses and midwives to provide letters of good standing from their employers and training institutions in addition to the two years post-qualification work experience.

State councils and chapters of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) petitioned, protested and condemned the imposed guidelines by the NMCN.

With this, the House of Representatives intervened on February 27, 2024, ordering the NMCN to halt implementation of the stringent guidelines until an investigation was carried out.

NMCN defied the House of Representatives directive for a while, until September 13, when it reopened the portal for license registration and verification.

It is worth noting that this move contravenes the International Convention of which Nigeria is a signatory, as the nurses and midwives were denied the right to pursue their careers and earn a living.

Meanwhile, the revised guidelines remains a bottleneck for health workers seeking opportunities to practice abroad.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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