New certificate verification guideline in the interest of Nigeria – Midwifery Council

The Nigeria Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has said the new certificate verification guideline for nurses was in the best interest of the country.

NMCN had on February 7 issued a circular revising the guidelines for verification of certificates for nurses and midwives in Nigeria.

The circular signed by the Registrar of the council, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, read: “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 years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence. Any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected outright.

“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, NMCN. Please note that the council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.”

The new guidelines have however pitched nurses in the country against the council, leading to a protest at the NMCN office in Abuja by aggrieved nurses and midwives on Monday.

The protesters carried placards around the premises to express their grievances at the development.

Some of the placards read: “Address unemployment among nurses, address quackery, address nurses welfare.”

“#No to verification rules,” “Stop frustrating the Nigerian nurses,” We are going through a lot already, protect nurses, protect healthcare,” and “NMCN, we say no to the verification rules, later NMCN, don’t reduce nurses.”

Addressing the protesters, the NMCN Registrar said the nurses’ complaints would be addressed as soon as possible.

He, however, noted that the revised guidelines for certificate verification were in the best interest of Nigerians, saying nobody was against the nurses and midwives travelling out of the country.

Abubakar said: “We have listened to you and we are going to address it in a short time, in a couple of days. I have listened to you and I have heard you. I want to acknowledge the way you are mobilised and I want to assure you that your documents will be looked at holistically and will address every issue.

“Nigeria is our only country, we don’t have any other country apart from Nigeria. Nobody is against you travelling and whatever policy that is coming on board is in the best interest of Nigerians.

“You have written your complaints and we will look at them one by one and get back to you.

“Go back to your respective place of work, and I assure you that in a couple of days, we will respond.”

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