Nurses under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Abuja chapter, have commenced a protest against the new verification certification guidelines released by the Nigeria and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. The protest was staged on Monday at the NMCN office in Abuja, the Nation’s Capital
The nurses and midwives sang solidarity songs and displayed placards bearing inscriptions such as “Address unemployment among nurses, address quackery, address nurses welfare, and “No to verification rules” – among others.
The nurses are complaining over what they described as an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities. They are asking the council to address nurses’ welfare, salary scale, shortage of staff, and other rights.
Recall that the NMCN issued a circular on the 7th of February, 2024, revising the guidelines for verification of certificates for nurses and midwives. The council’s circular was released after a report of the de-activation of the verification portal on NMCN’s website since December 2023.
The council also stated that applicants must have active practicing licences with a minimum of six months to the expiration date, and processing of verification applications would take a minimum of six months. It added that the implementation of the guidelines would take effect on the 1st of March, 2024.