The Federal Government has called on striking nurses across the country to suspend their ongoing industrial action, urging them to return to the negotiation table in the interest of the nation’s healthcare system. But leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, remain firm in their position, insisting they will not back down without tangible government action.
Now in its second day, the seven-day warning strike has disrupted services in federal hospitals nationwide. The action was launched by the nurses to press for longstanding demands centered on improved wages, allowances, staffing levels, and working conditions.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of Health Prof. Ali Pate told journalists that the government was actively working to resolve the impasse. He revealed that a high-level meeting involving representatives of nurses and medical doctors is scheduled for Friday as part of efforts to end the walkout.
However, hopes for a swift resolution dimmed earlier in the week when a mediation effort led by the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi, ended in deadlock. The absence of key government officials, including the Health Minister and the Head of Civil Service, stalled the talks and deepened the nurses’ frustrations.
NANNM-FHI National Chairman, Comrade Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, emphasized that the union would not be swayed by verbal assurances alone. He said the strike was a last resort after years of inaction and broken promises.
“We’ve waited too long. This strike is our last resort. No more promises, we need action. We want to see genuine commitment before we consider suspending the strike,” he said. “There’s no tentative agreement. We need a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from all stakeholders.”
At the heart of the nurses’ demands are calls for the gazetting of their professional scheme of service, a review of outdated allowances, recognition and funding for specialist roles, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department within the Ministry of Health.
At the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, NANNM Secretary Coker Oluwasegun decried the conditions under which nurses have worked for decades.
“Our uniform allowance has remained N20,000 annually for over 20 years. We lack equipment and proper facilities. Nurses are blamed for outcomes they can’t control,” he said.
The union has warned that failure to meet its demands could lead to a more severe industrial action. If no progress is made after the current warning strike ends, NANNM plans to issue a 21-day ultimatum ahead of a potential indefinite strike.
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