Nurses and midwives in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, have initiated a strike in response to new regulations aimed at verifying their qualifications for foreign nursing boards.
These regulations, designed to stem the outflow of health workers from Nigeria, have sparked discontent among healthcare professionals.
Under the new rules, nurses are required to pay verification fees and demonstrate at least two years of practice in Nigeria before their credentials are confirmed by authorities. Additionally, all applications will now undergo a minimum six-month processing period.
Voicing their concerns, nurses argue that the government should focus on improving working conditions rather than restricting their ability to practice in their preferred locations.
Last year, Nigerian authorities reported that over 75,000 nurses and midwives had left the country within a five-year span, exacerbating an already significant shortage of healthcare workers at home.
