Many nurses find themselves in violation of work regulations and visa limitations, which can result in legal issues, because they are unable to obtain the required verification from the NMCN.

The sudden closing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s (NMCN) verification system in February by the Nigerian government resulted in the forced return of several Nigerian nurses and midwives who were employed in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Currently, healthcare practitioners are having difficulty meeting international regulatory criteria and renewing their licenses.

Many nurses find themselves in violation of work regulations and visa limitations, which can result in legal issues, because they are unable to obtain the required verification from the NMCN.

According to The PUNCH, the situation has pushed a number of nurses, mostly in the US and the UK, to return to Nigeria.

An unnamed nurse talked on his personal experience.

He moved to the UK in September 2023 to work for a famous healthcare organisation. He had already finished the documentation process and passed a number of exams; all he needed to do to get his registration pin was to have the NMCN site verified.

But his dreams were dashed when the gateway closed, and he lost his job since he couldn’t meet the standards for certification.

He made several attempts to work with the NMCN to remedy the problem, including providing alternate ideas, but in vain.

“The situation is not only saddening, but suicidal,” he said, clearly expressing his tremendous frustration. My career has reached a standstill.”

Similar worries were expressed by another nurse, known only as Ovie, who is currently in the UK.

Her ambitions to work part-time as a nurse were thwarted by the portal’s closing, which prevented her from finishing the verification procedure. She had travelled to the UK to pursue a nursing top-up program.

Due to the delay, she is unsure about her future because her student visa is soon to expire and she faces the possibility of

Hannah, a Saudi Arabian nurse, shared her dejection as well. She moved in 2023 to pursue a career in nursing, but she is now faced with an uncertain future due to the possibility of deportation.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives’ President, Michael Nnachi, acknowledged the problem and stated that the organisation has been in communication with the government to find a solution.

Nnachi encouraged the impacted members to exercise patience even as he maintained optimism and a committee was established to assess the circumstances.

He voiced worries that even in cases where agreements were reached with the government, they frequently fell short of fulfilling their commitments.

Abubakar Shehu, the association’s Deputy National President, also voiced his displeasure with the delay.

He critiqued how the government handled the site closure, pointing out that nurses had different difficulties than other medical professions like doctors and chemists.

The NMCN registrar promised that the portal would reopen shortly, but Shehu underlined the detrimental effects of the closure on Nigerian nurses looking for work overseas.

For Nigerian nurses working overseas, the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the NMCN verification procedure has had serious ramifications. While they wait for the site to reopen, many are enduring emotional, financial, and legal difficulties.