Nigeria
Ghana
Imagine the stress, training and the time it took to get your Nursing licence. Even after all the wahala, you got a good job, and everything is good. But now, your licence needs to be verified, or even worse, it has expired, and needs to be renewed.
Now, we all know the stress (not again!) that comes with getting your nursing & midwifery licence verified or renewed.
But unfortunately, many nurses and midwives who are already working still have trouble with this, and they need this licence to keep saving lives.
However, the steps to renew or verify your nursing & midwifery licence in Nigeria, can be as easy as ABC, if you follow these simple steps.
With that in mind, below are two separate steps to renew/verify nursing & midwifery licence in Nigeria; however, one can be tedious, while the other, is a simple process that involves just your phone.
First, let’s examine why you need to renew/verify your nursing & midwifery licence in Nigeria, in an era where many professions have become an all-comers affair.
Why Renew/Verify Nursing & Midwifery Licence in Nigeria
In Nigeria, it’s practically impossible to practice as a nurse & midwife without the issuance of proper practising licence by the Nursing Council in Nigeria.
This is so due to the passing of the Midwives Ordinance of 1930 in Nigeria, which established the defunct Midwives Board, which was promulgated to regulate Midwifery education and practice in Nigeria.
Also, in 1947, the Nursing Council of Nigeria was established by the Registration of Nurses Ordinance of August 1947 to regulate and control the education and practice of Nursing in Nigeria.
And of course, the establishment of the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) by government decree in 1979 in Nigeria.
However, the two separate bodies were merged into one by the enabling decree 89 of 1979. Since then, it has grown in responsibilities, and authority as one of the foremost statutory professional regulating bodies with the largest scope, and professional personnel to control, and regulate the affairs of nurses & midwives in Nigeria.
The Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria is the sole governing body that regulates all cadres of nurses and midwives in Nigeria.
It was, however, re-established as a parastatal by the government of Nigeria by Act Cap. No 143 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, in 2004.
Therefore, as a practising nurse & midwife in Nigeria, you’re required to renew your licence every 3 years. This is to validate and update your status as a bona fide nurse/midwife.
However, it’s in line with the N&MCN requirement for interested nurses & midwives who wish to continue practice in Nigeria.
But before you can renew your practising licence, you’re expected to have completed your General Nursing or Basic Midwifery Education.
Once you have succeeded in the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Final Professional Qualifying Examination, you will be licenced to practice.
These also apply to Foreign Trained Nurses who have met the Council registration requirement. You will proceed to practice, either in the general nursing or the basic category.
However, there are procedures to follow to successfully complete each aspect of this registration based on what interest you.
Having done that, you must undergo a renewal and verification process of your practising licence, after its expiration. This process solidifies your status as a practising nurse & midwife.
But this process is done by the Updating/Licencing Unit of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Also, the unit is responsible for the updating and issuance of practising licences to all categories of registered nurses within and outside the country.
Additionally, the unit is responsible for handling all correspondence and keeping statistics of all processed and dispatched licences. The unit was established in 1987.
Its activities are supported and enforced by section 5 of the amended decree 54 of 1988 which stipulates that “no nurse shall be allowed to practice or continue to practice in any year except such a nurse has paid the Annual Licencing fee as prescribed by the Council”.
How to Verify Nursing & Midwifery Certificate
Before we dive into the process of verifying your certificate as a practising nurse or midwife in Nigeria, you need to have the requirements below.
Requirements for Verification of Certificates of Registration
- Application letter stating purpose and destination of verification request.
- Completed verification form.
- Photocopy of current licence.
- Photocopies of certificates of registration.
- Photocopy of birth certificate or declaration of age or an affidavit.
- Original evidence of payment of ₦66,875 per certificate of registration on Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s platform through REMITA (TSA).
- Two (2) copies of each of the requirements for verification.
- Plus, the original evidence of payment of N8,750 on Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s platform through REMITA (TSA). This amount covers any number of certificate(s) to be presented.
Having done that, you will proceed to the last stage where you will tender all the above documents and prove of payment to be issued a Letter of Good Standing.
How to Renew Nursing & Midwifery Licence in Nigeria
If you are a practising nurse or midwife in Nigeria, renewing your licence can be done either in-person or online. (Using a reliable errand service). To renew your licence in-person, you will need to be physically present at the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s head office in Abuja.
But first, let’s touch on the basic documents you need to present to successfully renew/verify your nursing & midwifery licence in Nigeria.
Required Document to Renew Your Nursing & Midwifery Licence in Nigeria
- First, you have to submit a completed application form from the nursing council in Nigeria.
- Plus, two (2) recent identical coloured passport photographs with white background.
- You will also submit your expired licence.
- Photocopies of your certificates of registration.
- Certificate for Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP).
- Original evidence of renewal payment fee of N10,500.
But if you have defaulted on your renewal payment, you will be required to pay a penalty fee of N5,250 for each year of default.
Note: These fees are to be paid on the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s platform through REMITA.
Step 1: In-person Approach:
- As an in-person applicant, visit the office of the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria in Abuja.
- While at the office of the Nursing Council in Abuja, obtain an application form to be completed for renewing Licence to Practice Nursing with respect to the requirement from the relevant department.
- Carefully complete the forms with appropriate information under relevant sections. But don’t forget to attest the forms with your signature once completed.
- Once completed, attach all the documents listed in the “Required Documents” section.
- Then, submit the form to the relevant authority at the office. Don’t forget to make the stipulated payment as directed by the officials.
- After you’ve submitted the form, the application and other documents will be forwarded for examination and verification processes.
- Next is the verification and validation process by the officials which will determine if your application will be approved or denied.
- Once the verification and validation processes are over and if the application is found sufficient, it will be approved and the officials will proceed to take the required steps to issue the renewed licence.
- The last step is the collection of your submitted and well-vetted document.
- When the document is ready to be collected, you will receive a notification from the office through email or phone call regarding the collection.
Step 2: Through HelpMeWaka:
If you can’t visit the Nursing council office in Abuja, but need to complete the renewal/verification of your Nursing & Midwifery licence in Nigeria seamlessly, you can use a trusted errand service by following the steps below:
- Firstly, visit www.HelpMeWaka.com.
- Click on the “Post an Errand” button and click on the appropriate tab.
- You will be taken to a page where you fill in your personal details, either as a returning customer, or a new one.
- Having done that, you will be taken to a page where you will fill in some important details related to your renewal process.
Below is the image of the form you will fill out. It also details all you need to submit for the successful execution of your preferred application interest.
Verification of Certificate:
Renewal of Licence:
The images above show the simplified steps to renew/verify nursing & midwifery licence in Nigeria by HelpMeWaka.
However, to effectively use the Helpmewaka errand delivery service, visit www.helpmewaka.com, and click the “How it Works” section.
But if you find that process stressful, below are what you need to successfully complete the process:
- As a customer, you would need to register on the helpmewaka site.
- Then post the job with all the relevant information such as where the service is to be provided; date and time of request; contact person; telephone number etc.
- Once payment is received, your request will be assigned to one of their contractors and work starts.
- Upon completion of your required, you will be provided with the job results and feedback.
Should there be a dispute with the request, you can email them at helpme@Helpmewaka.com.
Conclusion
Getting to renew/verify your nursing & midwifery licence to continue your practice as a caregiver in Nigeria has got easier than you thought.
You can simply follow either of the two steps highlighted to make that dream a reality, or you can fold your hands and wish for the stars.
But take the more simplified step. Don’t wish for the stars; rather, let a credible errand delivery service do all the leg work for you.
