The Digest:
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has initiated a 7-day nationwide warning strike starting July 29, 2025, due to the government’s failure to address critical concerns regarding nurses’ welfare and working conditions.
Key Points:
- NANNM has commenced a 7-day warning strike following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government.
- The strike will lead to a total shutdown of nursing services across all federal health institutions, including Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.
- Nurses are protesting the inadequacy of allowances, including night and weekend shift pay, and call-duty allowances.
- NANNM demands the creation of a Department of Nursing within the Ministry of Health, better working conditions, and modern hospital equipment.
- There are concerns that the strike could cripple emergency care, surgeries, maternal health, and chronic disease management, potentially leading to preventable deaths.
- Nigeria faces a critical shortage of nurses, with over 75,000 nurses and midwives emigrating since 2019, exacerbating the crisis.
- Nurses make up approximately 60% of the national healthcare workforce, with federal hospitals being the largest employers.
The warning strike by Nigerian nurses threatens to disrupt essential health services, amplifying the healthcare crisis in the country. Government action is urgently needed to address their concerns and avert a full-scale collapse of public healthcare services.
Rooted in the Storm.
Sources: Vanguard, NANNM, National Hospital
