The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has cancelled remedial programmes in nursing training institutions in Nigeria.
The NMCN disclosed this in a memo by the office of the Secretary-General/Registrar of the council.
The memo, with reference number N&MCN/SG/RO/CIR/24/VOL.5/54, was titled, “Abolishing the remedial programme in nursing training institutions in Nigeria,’ and dated December 28, 2022.
The document, which was seen by our correspondent, showed that the decision was approved by the board of the council at the emergency meeting held on December 20, 2022, and took effect from January 2023.
The council said the programme was no longer necessary with the current reforms in nursing education and practice as well as the availability of multiple examination boards, including the West African Examination Council, Senior School Certificate Examination, National Examination Council and the National Business and Technical and Examination Board, among others, whose certificates were acceptable for admission into nursing programmes.
The memo read in part, “Continuous running of such a programme is overstretching the existing facilities and has put most of the nursing training institutions at constant burden.
“Henceforth, person(s) to be admitted into nursing/midwifery programmes must meet the admission requirements specified by the council as there will be no opportunity for a remedial programme in the nursing institutions.
“Heads of the institutions are hereby directed to employ additional co-nursing educators and limit the number of supporting lecturers in basic and medical sciences to a specified number as contained in the council’s guidelines for the establishment of nursing training programmes.”
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on the council’s decision, the Secretary-General/Registrar, Faruk Abubakar, said, “The board felt that there was no need to run the programme now as it is no longer necessary in Nigeria’s training institutions.”
“Anybody who wants to go for a remedial programme should go to another conventional institution, not a nursing institution.”
