US, Canada Reject Job Applications By Nigerian Nurses After Government Suspended Licence Verification Services

The suspension of licence verification services by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has resulted successful the rejection of Nigerian nurses' applications to enactment abroad.

SaharaReporters reported connected August 16, that hundreds of Nigerian nurses are presently stranded owed to the continued closure of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) portal.

The enactment of the NMCN, SaharaReporters learnt, closed the portal successful February 2024 and this has brought the verification process for caller nurses to a grinding halt, leaving galore successful limbo.

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The NMCN portal is simply a captious level for nurses practising successful Nigeria to get registered and beryllium verified arsenic qualified aesculapian practitioners.

The contented started connected December 22, 2023 erstwhile the Registrar of NMCN ordered the contiguous closure of the portal without providing immoderate justification.

“I americium directed to by the Registrar/CEO, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to pass you to adjacent the verification exertion portal by 4.00pm contiguous being 22 December, 2023.

“Please enactment that announcement for re-opening of the verification portal volition beryllium communicated to you successful owed course,” a property connection issued to that effect read.

The Nigerian Nursing Council's online portal was reopened connected February 7, 2024, pursuing wide outrage from affected nurses and involution by the Ministry of Health.

However, the continued closure of the portal has present led to the rejection of Nigerian nurses who applied to enactment overseas - peculiarly successful the United States and Canada.

Reacting to development, the Nigerian Medical Association expressed regret implicit the situation, stating that galore Nigerian applicants person been turned down worldwide owed to the portal's closure.

The relation criticised the House of Representatives' directive to the NMCN to indefinitely suspend licence verification services, citing the terrible consequences for Nigerian nurses.

They emphasised that this determination efficaciously prevents Nigerian nurses from practicing abroad, likening it to a signifier of "mass kidnapping" that confines nurses to the state against their will.

In a connection shared connected it authoritative X grip connected Monday, the doctors described it arsenic "unprecedented infringement of Nurses' cardinal quality rights".

The connection partially read, "Nigerian Doctors received, with a dense heart, the quality that your bureau gave a directive to The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) @Nigeria_NMC, to suspend the licence verification services for Nurses indefinitely.

"The accusation of this is that Nigerian Nurses are nary longer capable to permission the state and signifier nursing successful overseas countries.

"If this is true, this volition beryllium the latest determination successful the country's efforts to restrict migration of wellness workers," it said.

The radical added, "If you sanctioned this enactment truly, the accusation is that Nigerian Government volition present clasp Nigerian Nurses hostage successful their ain country, making it the largest kidnapping den successful quality history.

"This is an unprecedented infringement of Nurses' cardinal quality rights.

"In solidarity, Nigerian Doctors powerfully condemn this inhumane attraction and request an urgent reconsideration.

"Nigerian Citizens are escaped to unrecorded successful Nigeria oregon permission Nigeria.

"P.S: If you did not springiness this directive, kindly telephone NMCN to bid pls."

The Texas Board of Nursing Nurse Portal successful a reply missive to Nigerian applicant, titled, RE: Exams (NCLEX) & Authorizations to Test (ATTs), dated August 15, 2024, the committee said that the Nigeria NMC has notified them that they person stopped sending verifications indefinitely.

The missive partially read: "Until further notice, the Texas Board of Nursing has halted the exertion process for each Nigerian applicants whose Verification of Licensure from the Nigeria NMC is missing oregon expired.

"The Nigeria NMC has notified america that they person stopped sending verifications indefinitely. The Board of Nursing requires that Nigerian applicants person a current, unexpired verification of licensure from Nigeria NMC connected record successful bid to determination guardant with their exertion for licensure.

"There is nary waiver for the Nigerian verification, nor is determination immoderate alternate to having the verification sent to us. The Board hopes to pass each applicants erstwhile this concern changes. While the Board is sympathetic to immoderate inconvenience oregon vexation related to our requirements for licensure verification, Board unit indispensable instrumentality the requisite attraction and clip to adequately reappraisal each submission for the BON to fulfill its ngo of extortion and promotion of the payment of the radical of Texas," the missive addressed to a Nigerian applicant reads.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) successful Canada successful exertion update of a Nigerian applicant, stated that they cannot determination guardant with offering the applicant a occupation until the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) re- opens for licence verification.

AHS wrote: "We admit your involvement successful Alberta Health Services and admit the enactment you person done successful your application. We volition not beryllium capable to determination guardant with offering you a occupation until the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) re- opens for licence verification.

"Please email america erstwhile the NMCN is capable to supply licence verifications again and we volition proceed to lucifer you to a presumption (provided the recruitment is inactive successful progress)."

Also similar different Nigerian applicants successful different jurisdictions, the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador besides rejected exertion of Nigerian applicant connected the closure of relationship verifications.

Electronic connection to a Nigerian applicant Nigerian Doctors shared connected X handle, read: "We cannot log successful to your relationship to verify licensure. We recognize that NMC Nigeria is not issuing verifications astatine present.

"We bash necessitate a verification of registration successful bid to measure your application, truthful we volition clasp your exertion until this process resumes and you are capable to get your verification from NMC Nigeria."