By Husseina Nelson
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has announced a new regulation requiring nurses to have at least two years of experience before seeking verification of their credentials for overseas employment.
This move aims to address the growing concern of brain drain, where skilled medical professionals leave Nigeria for better opportunities abroad.
“The rate at which Nigerian nurses are traveling abroad is alarming,” said Dr. Bola Abosede Ofi, NMCN Board Chairman. “If this trend continues, we might not have enough nurses in Nigeria to meet the needs of our population.”
The new requirement has been met with mixed reactions. Some nurses support the measure, arguing that it will help to retain talent and improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Others criticise the policy, calling it restrictive and a barrier to career advancement.
“This is a big blow to our dreams of working abroad,” said a registered nurse who wished to remain anonymous. “Many of us spend years preparing for overseas opportunities, and now we are being told that we have to wait even longer.”
The NMCN maintains that the two-year experience requirement is necessary to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to practice in foreign countries. The Council also emphasised that the new regulation is temporary and will be reviewed after two years.
“We understand that this policy may cause inconvenience to some nurses,” said Faruk Umar Abubakar, NMCN Registrar/Secretary General. “However, we believe that it is necessary to protect the interests of both the nursing profession and the Nigerian public.”
The impact of the new regulation on nurse brain drain remains to be seen. It is possible that some nurses will be deterred from seeking overseas employment, while others may choose to gain experience in Nigeria before making the move. Only time will tell whether the NMCN’s strategy will be successful in stemming the tide of nurses leaving Nigeria.