Nurses and Midwives Urge FG for Separate Salary Structure

• NANNM calls for Enhanced Nurses Salary Structure (ENSS) establishment, aiming to incentivize nurses, reduce emigration rate from Nigeria
• NANNM president urges government to implement salary increase for nurses, addressing brain drain issue; clarifies recent Nursing Council circular controversy

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has appealed to the federal government to authorize the establishment of a distinct salary package known as the Enhanced Nurses Salary Structure (ENSS).

The association asserted that such a measure would serve as an incentive for nurses and midwives in the country, ultimately reducing the emigration rate.

This call was made during the commencement of the International Nurses and Midwives’ Day in Abuja on Tuesday.

Michael Ekuma Nnachi, the national president of NANNM, also urged the government to implement a salary increase for nurses to tackle the issue of brain drain effectively.

Nnachi disclosed that the association’s leadership engaged in several discussions with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) following the controversy surrounding its recent circular on verifying certificates by applicants to foreign nursing boards/councils.

As a result of these discussions, Nnachi stated that the responsibility of issuing letters of good standing would now lie with the head of nursing services in respective facilities. At the same time, the verification process was suspended for six months.

Furthermore, he clarified that the application fee remains unchanged, and the requirement of two years of post-qualification experience is now post-registration with the council.

“All the agreed-upon revised guidelines will be made available on the council’s portal from the first week of March 2024,” he added.

In a related development, the House of Representatives has urged the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to halt the implementation of the ‘Revised Guidelines for Verification of Nurses and Midwives Certificates’ pending an investigation by the House.

The House mandated the Committees on Health Institutions and Legislative Compliance to probe the controversy surrounding the revised guidelines and submit their report within six weeks.