Barring any last-minute intervention, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) will commence a seven-day nationwide warning strike from midnight Tuesday, July 29, 2025, over the federal government’s failure to address key demands affecting the welfare and career progression of its members.
The association had earlier issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government on July 14, following the suspension of newly approved health sector allowances via a circular released by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC). Although the circular has since been withdrawn, the union insists that the suspension addressed only one out of nine critical demands tabled before the government.
In a letter to the Federal Ministry of Health, NANNM stressed that it would not back down from its planned action unless all demands are met. “The suspension of the circular is just one item among our nine demands. The association cannot suspend the ultimatum until all legitimate requests are addressed,” the union stated.
The nurses and midwives are demanding the gazetting and implementation of the revised scheme of service for nurses, which was approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) since 2016, and the enforcement of a 2012 judgment of the National Industrial Court in their favour.
Other demands include:Review of professional allowances;Massive recruitment of nurses and midwives; Inclusion of nurses in hospital boards and national policy-making bodies; Creation of a Department of Nursing at the Federal Ministry of Health; Centralised posting system for intern nurses; and Granting of consultancy status to qualified professionals in the field.
A circular dated July 25 and signed by NANNM’s top officials, including the 2nd National Vice President, Orolu Sesan, and Deputy General Secretary, Elder Otaru Daniel Shaibu, directed all state councils to begin mobilisation for the strike.
“You are reminded that the ultimatum expires at 12am, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. All state councils must prepare accordingly,” the circular read.
Speaking, the NANNM chairman at the National Hospital Abuja, Comrade Joseph Awujah Akpi, condemned the exclusion of nurses from the governing boards of health institutions, despite forming over 60 per cent of the nation’s health workforce.
“In some cases, you see three to four representatives from one profession on a hospital board, yet not a single nurse is included. That is unfair and unacceptable,” Akpi lamented.
He decried the dire working conditions in many hospitals, noting that a single nurse is often left to care for up to 32 patients. “It’s not that we lack nurses.
The truth is that the government has failed to employ them. We are calling for a state of emergency on nursing employment,” he said.
Akpi also cited the decaying infrastructure in most health facilities, warning that unless urgent investments are made, the quality of patient care would continue to deteriorate.
NANNM called on the federal government to act swiftly to prevent a total collapse of health services across the country, noting that nurses and midwives remain the backbone of the healthcare system.
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