The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Faruk Abubakar, has said the council is not responsible for the poor salary nurses earn.
Abubakar said this while speaking on the controversy surrounding the nurses’ certificate verification on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Morning Brief.
NMCN, in its revised guidelines, stated that applicants seeking verification of certificates from foreign nursing boards and councils must possess two years of post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing license.
The and Lagos to nurses staged protests at the NMCN’s offices in Abuja express their displeasure over what they described as an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities, asking the council to address nurses’ welfare, salary scale, shortage of staff, and other rights.
Speaking on Tuesday, Abubakar said an average nurse in the country receives not less than N135,000 monthly.
He stressed that the council was not responsible for the remuneration of nurses in the country, but the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives were working towards improving the welfare of the nurses.
“The issue of remuneration is not within the NMCN, it is the responsibility of the Minister of the Ministry of Health, and I want to make this clear to you, a few weeks ago, NANNM paid a courtesy visit to the minister, and he has constituted a committee where all issues raised by the national association (will be addressed), including the welfare that you are talking about.
“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.
Speaking on the role of NMCN, he added, “Our responsibility is to ensure that nurses are regulated to better education and practice for Nigerians. Those who are responsible are doing their best to ensure that the welfare is attended to.
“Additionally, the NANNM, which is the umbrella body (of nurses and midwives) is doing a lot. I know that there was a lot of discussion with the Minister some weeks back, and all related to their welfare. The association that is responsible for that is doing its best to ensure that the welfare is improved drastically,” he said.
When asked what the council is doing to protect and improve the welfare of the nurses, Abubakar said, “The FMoH and the Minister of State (for health) are working hard to ensure a very conducive working environment, with the provision of state-of-art equipment, and instruments, that will help them provide quality care for Nigerians.
“And I want to assure (you) that within a couple of months, a lot has been integrated and provided in 2024 that will improve the welfare of the nurses that we are talking about. When talking about the salary they are talking about, I think it’s a general phenomenon, and I believe it’s a general thing.
“There is a lot of progress that is going on to review the salary and nurses are also included in that policy. I think it’s a general phenomenon, all other sectors are also complaining, and the government is doing a lot,” he stated.
Abubakar revealed that over 15,000 nurses and midwives left the country in 2023 to seek greener pastures, and added that the number of nurses leaving the country is increasing every year.
He said, “42,000 nurses left the country in the last three years. Last year alone, it was over 15,000, the number is increasing year by year.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, said on Tuesday that it would stop at nothing to ensure that the concerns raised by its members were properly and promptly addressed.
NANNM is the umbrella body of professional nurses and midwives who are trained, registered, and licensed to practice the nursing profession at all the levels of healthcare delivery system in the country.
The association made the pledge in a circular titled “Re: Revised guidelines for verification of certificate(s), “ signed by its General Secretary, Thomas Shettima.
“We want to assure all our members nationwide and indeed the entire Nigeria Nurses and Midwives that the Association will stop at nothing in ensuring that the concerns raised are properly and promptly addressed. It should be noted that presently, the Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria like most statutory boards have been dissolved by the Federal Government,” the circular partly read.
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