The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has reopened the nurse and midwife verification portal on its website.
Our reporter checked the NMCN portal on Saturday and found that nurses and midwives can now submit verification requests.
Our correspondent confirmed that the verification portal reopened on Friday. When our journalist examined the portal, it said, “Good news: verification requests are back online.
“Please note that henceforth expiration dates on renewal applications will be calculated based on the date you applied.”
It was gathered that the sudden deactivation of the verification portal by the council in February plunged countless Nigerian nurses and midwives working abroad into turmoil.
Already, some nurses without the required verification from the NMCN find themselves in violation of visa conditions and employment laws, resulting in legal consequences.
Many nurses from other countries, notably the United Kingdom and the United States, have been forced to return to their home country due to the issue.
On February 7, the council issued a circular outlining the procedures for obtaining verification of certifications for nurses and midwives in the country.
According to the circular, nurses and midwives must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing license, and the council will request a letter of good standing from the chief executive officer of the applicant’s place(s) of employment and the last nursing training institution attended, with responses addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN, among others.
This prompted state councils and chapters of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives in Nigeria in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kaduna, Yenagoa, Ondo, Plateau, and other states to petition the nursing council and their association’s headquarters for the withdrawal of the certificate verification circular.
Some nurses and midwives also criticised the recommendations, and some took the NMCN to court, but the matter was dropped.
On February 27, the House of Representatives also requested that the council not execute its new criteria for issuing verification certificates to nurses and midwives across the country.
The professionals claim that the council’s action is an attempt to limit their freedom to pursue employment prospects abroad.
They further said it was linked to the Federal Government’s desire to minimise the number of health personnel leaving the nation to seek greener pastures abroad.
On Friday, NANNM urged the Federal Government to act quickly on the association’s demands.
Michael Nnachi, the association’s National President, listed some of the association’s pressing needs as the re-opening of the nurses and midwives certificate verification portal, payment of salaries for all Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria staff, the constitution of the board, the creation of a special nurses salary structure, and the immediate review of nurses’ peculiar professional allowances.
