Nigerian nurses and midwives have served the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) with a pre-action notice, demanding the immediate reversal of the Council’s revised stringent guidelines for certificate verification.
The agitation stems from a recent memo dated February 7, 2024, in which the Council outlined new guidelines for the verification of certificates required by all applicants seeking recognition from foreign nursing boards or councils. The memo triggered discontent among health workers, prompting protests organized by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives in Abuja.
According to reports, the nurses expressed concerns that the stringent rules were aimed at restricting their freedom to pursue career opportunities abroad. They argued that the new guidelines could adversely affect their ability to seek employment or further education internationally.
The pre-action notice, received by the Council on February 23, 2024, and served through legal representation, highlighted several contentious issues with the revised guidelines. Among these were requirements that applicants must fulfill two years of post-qualification experience before seeking verification for practice abroad. Additionally, unemployed applicants were barred from applying for verification unless they obtained a letter of good standing from their place of work, a condition deemed unreasonable by the protesting health workers.
The notice emphasized that the new guidelines contradicted existing policies promoting mandatory continuing education programs for nurses and midwives, essential for enhancing healthcare delivery standards. Furthermore, it argued that the directives infringed upon the constitutional rights of Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives, particularly their freedom of movement.
Citing concerns over the legality and constitutionality of the guidelines, the pre-action notice invoked the Migration for Employment Convention (C97), a treaty ratified by Nigeria as a member state of the International Labour Organization (ILO). It called for the immediate withdrawal of the memo and threatened legal action if the Council failed to comply within seventy-two hours.
Adelewa Williams, representing the aggrieved health workers, emphasized that the guidelines were not in the best interest of the nursing and midwifery profession, accusing certain individuals of prioritizing self-interest over the welfare of practitioners and the Council as a whole.
