The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has officially reopened its verification portal for nurses and midwives, allowing them to submit verification requests through the council's website.
This development was confirmed by our correspondent after checking the portal, which indicated that the service resumed on Friday. The portal now states, “Good news, verification requests are back online,” and highlights that expiration dates on renewal applications will be based on the date of application moving forward.
The reopening comes after significant pressure from the nursing community, particularly following the portal's closure in February, which had left many Nigerian nurses and midwives working abroad in precarious situations.
Without the necessary verification from the NMCN, these professionals faced violations of visa conditions and employment laws, leading to serious legal ramifications.
Anthony Ijeoma, a nurse associated with Nursingworld Nigeria, expressed his appreciation for the reopening, crediting the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) for their advocacy efforts.
He stated, “I commend NMCN for listening to reason and reopening its verification portal for nurses within and outside the country.”
The NMCN's earlier decision to deactivate the portal had sparked widespread outrage among nurses, particularly those in the United Kingdom and the United States, many of whom were compelled to return to Nigeria due to the inability to verify their credentials.
This situation has raised concerns about the council's guidelines for certificate verification, which require nurses to have a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience and a letter of good standing from their employers.
