The Unintended Consequences of Coercive Migration Policies on Nigerian Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Background: The emigration of Nigerian nurses to other countries continues to soar, worsening the country’s shortage of nurses. In response, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) and the Nigerian government introduced a controversial policy by halting nurses’ licence verification and introducing new verification guidelines aimed at coercively deterring nurse migration.Objective: This study assessed the perceptions of Nigerian-registered nurses worldwide on the closure of the licence verification portal and its impact on their careers, finances, and psychosocial well-being.Design: A qualitative descriptive approach, utilising a transcendental phenomenological design, was employed.Methods: Data were collected through online in-depth unstructured interviews with 22 nurses and an open-ended survey using Google Forms from 1,838 participants. NVivo version 15 software was used for deductive thematic analysis. Results: The results revealed four significant themes: Negative perceptions towards the portal closure, psychosocial, career, and financial impacts. The nurses expressed a generally negative perception of the policy, viewing it as poorly drafted and unethical, and one that punished and witch-hunted nurses. Psychosocial impacts include anxiety, suicidal ideation, and family issues. The portal closure further hinders career progression and reduces productivity at work. The cost of preparation, loss of jobs, and sponsorship strains their finances.Conclusions: Coercive policies may temporarily halt nurse migration, but they often have unintended negative consequences for nurses and the broader health system. Therefore, policymakers should establish ethical migration regulations instead of imposing outright restrictions, and policies should focus on creating structured migration frameworks that benefit both the local healthcare system and migrating nurses.