Nurses in Abuja under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, on Monday, protested against the new verification certification guidelines released by the Nigeria and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The nurses expressed displeasure over what they described as an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities, asking the council to address nurses’ welfare, salary scale, shortage of staff, and other rights.
The protest monitored by our correspondent was carried out at the NMCN’s office in Abuja.
The NMCN had on February 7, 2024, issued a circular revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives.
The council’s circular was released after it reported the deactivation of the verification portal on NMCN’s website in December 2023.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the nurses and midwives were at the NMCN office singing and wielding placards around the premises.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “Address unemployment among nurses, address quackery, address nurses welfare, and “#No to verification rules. Stop frustrating the Nigerian nurses, we are going through a lot already, Protect nurses, protect healthcare, NMCN, we say no to the verification rules, NMCN, don’t reduce nurses” among others.
