The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has given the Federal Government a 15-day ultimatum to meet its demands or face a nationwide warning strike.
This resolution came after an emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held virtually on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The meeting followed a controversial circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) regarding allowances for health workers.
In a communiqué signed by NANNM President Haruna Mamman and General Secretary Dr. T.A. Shettima, the association described the circular as “inadequate, discriminatory and disappointing.”
NANNM listed several unresolved issues, including:
– Gazetting of the nurses’ scheme of service approved in 2016
-Implementation of a 2012 court judgment in their favour
– Review of professional allowances
– Employment of more nurses
– Creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health
– Recognition of consultancy roles for qualified nurses
– Inclusion of nurses in key policy and decision-making bodies
Mamman stressed that nurses, who form 60 to 65 percent of the health workforce, have long been ignored by the government, despite making repeated efforts to resolve their concerns through dialogue.
He warned that if nothing is done by Monday, July 29, nurses and midwives across the country would withdraw their services for a one-week warning strike.
The association called on the Presidency, National Assembly, and the general public to intervene urgently to prevent a total shutdown of healthcare services nationwide.
“We have waited too long. This is not a new demand; these are long-standing agreements and judgments the government has failed to implement,” Mamman said. “We are open to dialogue, but it must come with action.”
