Japa: NMCN sets new requirements for nurses, midwives’ certificate verification

In a bid to curtail the ongoing emigration of Nigerian nurses and midwives abroad, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has unveiled revised guidelines and requirements for applicants seeking the verification of their certificate(s) for practice abroad.

This is as the council revealed that Nigerian nurses and midwives must have a minimum of two years of post-qualification work experience from the date of issuance of a permanent practicing license before their certificates can be verified by foreign nursing boards or councils.

This is contained in a circular signed by the Registrar/Secretary General of NMCN, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, titled “Revised guidelines for the verification of certificate(s) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for practice abroad.”

The council also disclosed that nurses who apply with provisional licences will outright be rejected, adding that all applicants who seek to relocate must have an active practicing licence with a minimum of six months until the expiration date.

According to NMCN, the revised guidelines, effective March 1, 2024, aim to streamline the process and enhance the standards of nursing education and practice in alignment with global best practices.

Aside from the above requirements, NMCN will also require a “Letter of Good Standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s workplace and the last nursing training institution attended.”

Persecondnews recalls that the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 8, 2023, listed Nigeria and 54 other countries as facing a critical shortage of health workers.

According to the International Health Organisation, the impact of COVID-19 and widespread disruptions to health services has made health workers in the identified countries seek better-paid opportunities in wealthier nations.

Data from the WHO showed that Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign nurses and midwives working in the UK after India and the Philippines.

About a month after the report by the international health body, the UK government on April 10, 2023, placed Nigeria and 53 other countries on the red list of countries that should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers.