Nursing and Midwifery Council Nigeria
Nursing and Midwifery Council NigeriaThe Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has reopened its verification portal for nurses and midwives, following its deactivation in December 2023. The portal became operational again on Saturday, 13 September 2024, after months of inactivity.
This development comes after a 15-day ultimatum issued by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to the Federal Government, demanding that long-standing issues affecting the Nursing profession be addressed.
Among the demands were the reopening of the verification portal, an enhanced salary structure for nurses, and the creation of a department of Nursing.
Pharmanewsonline gathered that before the portal was reopened, several meetings took place between key stakeholders, including NMCN, NANNM, and the Minister of Health and social welfare, Prof. Mohammed Alli Pate. The National Assembly had also intervened, urging the NMCN to resume certificate verifications based on former guidelines while investigations were ongoing.
The ultimatum, which would have taken effect today, Monday, 16 September 2024, was put in place to avoid industrial action. In a statement, NANNM President, Michael Nnachi, listed some of the association’s demands, including the payment of salaries to NMCN staff and the constitution of the Council’s board.
The reopening of the portal comes as a relief to many nurses, particularly those working abroad, who had been left in limbo due to the portal’s closure. Many nurses, especially in the UK and the US, had faced legal challenges as a result of the delay in verification.
NMCN’s decision to reopen the portal follows months of advocacy by NANNM and other professional bodies, who argued that the delay was hindering nurses’ ability to secure international job opportunities and causing termination of jobs for nurses abroad.
NANNM has urged the government to address the remaining demands within the next one to three weeks.
The association through the office of the Deputy Secretary Elder Otáru Daniel Shaibu, also commended the Ministry of Health for its cooperation, while encouraging nurses to remain committed to their duties as discussions continue.
“The extension of the ultimatum gives the Federal Ministry of Health more time to address the remaining demands, which are expected to be resolved within one to three weeks,” Shaibu said.
“We are grateful for the support of all state councils, NEC members, and the nursing community. We ask for continued commitment as we work with the government to resolve the outstanding issues,”Shaibu concluded.
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