The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has denied allegations by some Nigerian nurses that its licensing and registration portal has been down for an extended period.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the council, Ndaji Alhassan, said the claim was untrue, explaining that the portal remains operational and accessible to applicants.
Alhassan disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Abuja.
He explained that the council recently partnered with two firms to manage the licensing process under a two-phase structure covering pre-clinical and clinical services.
According to him, the pre-clinical phase involves data collection handled by one firm, while the information is transferred to another firm responsible for the clinical service stage.
Alhassan said the council terminated its partnership with the firm previously handling the pre-clinical component of the process.
He explained that some nurses had already submitted their data to the firm before the contract was terminated, which created challenges in transferring the data to the new service provider.
According to him, the former firm initially found it difficult to release the data of affected nurses to the new firm currently managing the clinical service stage.
To resolve the issue, the registrar said the council created a new portal and directed nurses to log in and update their professional information and biodata.
He explained that once applicants complete the required updates on the portal, the licensing and renewal process proceeds smoothly.
Alhassan added that nurses seeking to renew their licenses only need to log into the portal and fill in the required details.
According to him, the system also allows applicants to choose where they want their renewed licenses delivered.
He said licenses are often delivered to applicants’ home addresses based on the information provided on the portal after payment for courier services.
He added that some licenses are also delivered to the secretariats of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives in various states.
Others, he said, are sent to state ministries of health, teaching hospitals or offices close to the applicants, depending on their preferred delivery option.
Alhassan also said the portal has several stages applicants must complete before accessing the license renewal section.
He explained that users who attempt to proceed directly to the license stage without first updating their professional information may be denied access by the system.
The registrar added that once applicants complete the required steps and make payment, their licenses can be processed and ready within 24 hours.
