In a memo sent out on the 7th of February, 2024, the Nigeria Nursing Council detailed the updated guidelines and criteria that individuals applying for the verification of certificate(s) to foreign nursing boards or councils must fulfill.

The Nurses in Nigeria have uttered a big No to the new law imposed on them by the Nigerian Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria) NMCN and have tagged it "stringent conditions". The new guidelines are targeted towards Nigerian nurses planning to move on with their careers outside the country and would need their certificates verified. 

This information was passed on to 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. 

It was also forwarded to the Ministries of Health, Hospitals Management Board; 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.

What did the NMCN's Memo Say Concerning Verification? 

According to the memo:

• "A non-refundable fee per application shall be paid for verification to Foreign Boards of Nursing as specified on the portal. This shall cover the cost of courier services to the applicant's institution(s) of training, place of work, and Foreign Board." 

• "Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two (2) years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of permanent practicing license. Any application with provisional license shall be rejected outrightly." 

• "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 Council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant."

• “Applicants must have an active practicing license 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 memo read further." 

• "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." 

• The implementation of this guideline takes effect from 1st March 2024. All pending verification applications before this revised guideline will be processed accordingly. Heads of nursing institutions should take note and bring the content of this circular to Nurses.”

How have the Nurses reacted to the development? 

Many have concluded that the NMCN is eating up the Nursing profession. 

According to several responses moving around social media, X (formerly known as Twitter) especially, Nurses are wildly expressing their displeasure about the new guideline.

"I know these rules are put in place to stop doctors and nurses from going elsewhere for better pay. You don’t value your medical practitioners enough to provide a comfortable working condition and you still don’t want them to leave like a toxic ex," @crazeclown, a Nigerian medical doctor and content creator tweeted.

"You won't fight to improve the welfare of Nurses, you won't improve the Nursing Profession, and still you don't want Nurses to travel as it is their right to migrate to wherever they so desire. You won't let them live. Thunder has to fire all of you in that NMCN," @olawalesmd, another doctor and X user tweeted. 

A Nurse also shared on X "Since the Japa pandemic, we’ve watched the NMCN Verification fee go up from 10,500 to 68,000 and now 300,000 naira!!!! How much do Nurses even earn!!! How many can comfortably cough out 300k!!! Daylight robbery!!!! All NMCN does is oppress, steal, and extort!!! No one has ever challenged them!!! So they kept going!! It’s time to 

#SayNoToExtortion #saynotonmcnverificationguidline #NotoNMCNverficationrule #NMCN" 

Now, nurses have resorted to performing a peaceful protest against the decision of the NMCN.

The peaceful protest is set to take place on the 12th of February, 2024 at the NMCN office in Abuja. Also, Nurses have been urged to show up in their scrubs en masse to fight against the inconvenience the NMCN had offered.