The Nurses and Midwives Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has said that about 42,000 nurses and midwives left Nigeria for greener pastures abroad in the past three years.
The registrar of the council, Faruk Abubakar, disclosed this on Channels TV yesterday while reacting to the protest by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) against the new certification verification guidelines issued by the Council.
Nurses and midwives under the aegis of NANNM had staged a protest on Monday at the office of the NMCN in Abuja, over what they described as a deliberate attempt by the council to deny them their freedom to seek better opportunities outside the country, while asking the council to address the issues affecting nursing practice in the country.
The NMCN had issued a circular, stating that applicants seeking verification of certificates to foreign nursing boards and councils must have two years of qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence.
The registrar said the development is in the best interest of the country, adding that a lot of nurses have left the country in the past few years.
He said, “In the last three years, over 42,000 nurses left this country and the country needs them. Now if we allow every Nigerian to leave as they graduate, who is going to handle our healthcare services? Who is going to provide these services? We are Nigerians and it is our responsibility to provide these services.”
On remuneration, Abubakar said an average nurse in the country receives about N135,000, depending on where they are working.
“Some of them receive up to N200,000. It depends on where they are working, whether at the national, state, or local government.
“It is not the council’s responsibility to determine the remuneration of any nurse; the remuneration is also determined by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which is the body responsible for determining that nationwide and nurses inclusive,” the registrar said.
