Mixed reactions have trailed the reopening of the verification portal by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

The NMCN reopened the portal after almost nine months of its closure.

Nurses and midwives have lauded the efforts of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives in ensuring that the portal is reopened.

They, however, said the portal is not accessible to new nurses, and the two-year post-qualification is still in effect.

The NMCN had on February 7, 2024, issued a circular revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives.

The council’s circular was released after The PUNCH reported the deactivation of the verification portal on NMCN’s website in December 2023.

The circular signed by the Registrar of the council, Dr Faruk Abubakar, partly read that eligible applicants must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence, and any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected.

It also stated that the council shall request a letter of good standing from the chief executive officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN.