Presidency Wades Into Protests By Nigerian Nurses Over Stringent Guidelines, Vows To Address All Conflict Areas

The Nigerian presidency has said it is working to address the conflict areas and all the areas that will motivate nurses and midwives in the country.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) had on Monday staged a protest in Abuja against what they described as stringent verification certification guidelines released by the Nigeria and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

The nurses said the new rules were an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities.

They had urged the council to address issues affecting their welfare including salary scale, shortage of staff, and other rights.

The protest which took place at the headquarters of NMCN’s office located at the Life Camp, Abuja, paralysed activities there.

The protesters demanded to see the registrar of the council.

However, President Bola Tinubu's adviser on health, Dr Salma Anas-Kolo in a statement on Wednesday affirmed that the government was committed to addressing the concerns of nurses and midwives to keep them happy and boost service delivery,

He explained that the government would resolve issues raised by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to encourage the medics to do their best. Adding that the government would strive to improve the working environment and welfare of healthcare workers in the country.

He said; “So, they are very important to us and very critical in terms of nursing care and the delivery of health care, even when there are no doctors,” she said.

“We are committed to improving on issues raised by human resources. One area we want to address in creating an enabling environment is to also address the issue of rivalry.

“We are working to address the conflict areas and all the areas that will motivate our nurses and midwives. We want all health workers to be happy."