Nurses working in both public and private hospitals in Lagos State took to the street on Monday protested against the new guidelines for verification of certificates.
Acting under the aegis of Naija Nurses Forum, the health professionals described the move as oppressive, urging the Federal Government to reopen the verification portal without conditions.
In a memo dated February 7, 2024 and addressed to all state ministries of health, university teaching hospitals, specialist and federal medical centres, NANNM headquarters, among others, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria reviewed the guidelines for verification of certificates by nurses and midwives.
The nation’s nursing regulatory body, in the memo, said eligible applicants must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing licence.
While expressing their opposition to the new registration guidelines on Monday, the protesting nurses demanded that the council return to the old order within 48 hours.
The protest was carried out on Lagos streets from Harvey Road to UNILAG Road, to Neuropsychiatrist Hospital, Yaba.
The aggrieved nurses were seen singing and carrying placards as they protested.
Some of the placards read: “We no gree for NMCN free Nigeria Nurses”, “Nurses no be slaves No to a letter of good standing from anybody”, “We are not here to fight we just want the policy withdrawn”, “Let nurses breath, say no to NMCN verification rules”.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, the coordinator of the forum, Thomas Abiodun, described the new verification guidelines as a way of frustrating nurses from seeking greener pastures.
She said the review was an embarrassment to their profession and an infringement on the basic human rights of professional nurses.
“We are saying no to this and we want the government to reverse this within 48 hours. We want them to revisit these guidelines, it is wrong and wicked,” she noted.
