Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Approves Hijab for Nurses

The Board of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has approved the wearing of shoulder-length hijab for nurses while on duty.

The approval came at an emergency meeting convened on December 20, 2022, according to a circular released by the body.

In a circular issued by its Secretary-General/Registrar, Faruk Umar Abubakar PhD, the Council noted that the development is a validation of the Circular N&MCN/CMF/721/1/3 of 11th February, 2002 on Nurses Uniform.

According to him, the circular stated that female nurses should wear either a nurse cap or a shoulder-length hijab.

There have, however, been series of harassment and violations recorded against nurses and nursing students over the hijab.

In this new circular, the board established approval for the use of hijab by nurses.

“Heads of health facilities are hereby advised to abide by the Board’s decision for allowing female nurses to wear shoulder-length hijab on their uniform while on duty,” the circular read.

Abubakar concluded: “Thank you for your cooperation with the Council in promoting and maintaining excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice in Nigeria in line with global best practices.”

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.