Nurses, midwives give FG 15-day ultimatum, threaten nationwide strike.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, threatening a nationwide seven-day warning strike if their longstanding demands are not addressed.<\/p>\n
The resolution followed an emergency meeting of the association\u2019s National Executive Council (NEC), held virtually on Thursday, July 10, 2025, from the NANNM National Secretariat in Abuja.<\/p>\n
The meeting was convened in response to a recent circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) concerning the review of allowances for health workers.<\/p>\n
In a communiqu\u00e9 jointly signed by the Association\u2019s National President Haruna Mamman and General Secretary Dr. T.A. Shettima, the association announced that the ultimatum would take effect from Monday, July 14.<\/p>\n
NANNM described the circular as disappointing, inadequate, and discriminatory, arguing that it failed to reflect the vital roles and sacrifices made by nurses and midwives in Nigeria\u2019s healthcare system.<\/p>\n
Following the communiqu\u00e9 issued after the meeting, Mamman said the NEC condemned the circular and expressed deep concern that several of the association\u2019s demands, previously presented to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, have yet to be addressed.<\/p>\n
He listed unresolved issues, including the gazetting of the nurses\u2019 scheme of service approved by the National Council on Establishments in 2016, implementation of a 2012 National Industrial Court judgment, an upward review of professional allowances, and the employment of more nursing personnel<\/p>\n
Other demands, according to the communiqu\u00e9, are the creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health, inclusion of nurses in key policy-making roles, fair representation on boards of federal health institutions, centralized posting of graduate nurses for internships, and recognition of consultancy roles for nurses and midwives<\/p>\n
If the Federal Government fails to provide concrete and satisfactory responses within that period, nurses and midwives across the country will commence a one-week warning strike immediately after the deadline.<\/p>\n
\u201cNANNM called on the government to immediately revisit the controversial circular, engage in constructive dialogue with the association, and implement lasting solutions to the challenges facing the profession,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While reaffirming their commitment to providing quality healthcare, the NEC emphasized that nurses and midwives cannot continue to deliver such services under conditions of poor welfare, injustice, and neglect.<\/p>\n
The association urged the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Assembly, and the general public to intervene to prevent the looming industrial action, which could further strain Nigeria\u2019s already fragile healthcare system.<\/p>\n
To further clarify the association\u2019s position, Mamman emphasized that the ultimatum issued by the association is entirely independent of the Nigerian Medical Association\u2019s (NMA) reaction to the recent circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on medical officers\u2019 allowances.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cNurses make up about 60 to 65 percent of the entire health workforce in Nigerian hospitals. Ideally, there should be a proper department in the Federal Ministry of Health that focuses on nursing. But that doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we have is a Director of Nursing Services, but that director doesn\u2019t even head an official department. That\u2019s what we\u2019re fighting for the proper creation and recognition of a Department of Nursing Services.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t a demand that started today. We\u2019ve been on this matter for years. We even took the Federal Government to court in 2020 over it. We stayed in court for two years, and in 2022, we got a favourable judgment from the National Industrial Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve submitted letters, sent reminders, engaged in countless dialogues, and yet, nothing concrete has been done. Promises are made, but they\u2019re not kept especially by the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when people ask us why we are demanding a Department of Nursing now, the truth is we\u2019ve always demanded it. It\u2019s just that the government keeps ignoring us. And now, we are saying enough is enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue of consultancy also comes in. In every professional field, whether health or non-health, we have consultants. Nursing is no exception. We have nurses who have met all the required criteria to be appointed as consultants. Some are still waiting; some are on the verge of being appointed but the system hasn\u2019t allowed it to take root.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe consultancy cadre in nursing hasn\u2019t been operationalized. That is one of our long-standing demands. The government knows this. These demands were presented to the current Minister of Health when he assumed office, almost two years ago. So, they can\u2019t say they\u2019re unaware. We\u2019ve been very clear from the beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the issue of disparity in remuneration, let me be clear, we\u2019re not against the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps programme or the recent deployment of doctors to St. Lucia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not the issue. Our problem is the glaring difference in pay. Nigerian doctors going abroad are getting about N?3m monthly under the scheme, while back home, nurses and midwives are barely recognized or compensated adequately. That kind of disparity is dangerous, it\u2019s one of the reasons we are losing our professionals to other countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if nothing is done after the 15-day notice, we will withdraw our services. We will boycott the health sector. That\u2019s the reality. We\u2019ve exercised patience. We\u2019ve used all peaceful and administrative channels available. But when the government continues to renege on agreements and court judgments, what other options do we have?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are always open to dialogue but dialogue must come with action. We\u2019re not asking for anything new. We are asking for the implementation of existing agreements, court judgments, and structural recognition that is long overdue. (The Nation)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nurses, midwives give FG 15-day ultimatum, threaten nationwide strike. The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, threatening a nationwide seven-day warning strike if their longstanding demands are not addressed. The resolution followed an emergency meeting of the association\u2019s National Executive Council (NEC), held […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":147010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[356,18,20],"tags":[1709,1708,1710,1670],"class_list":{"0":"post-147009","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"category-news","9":"category-the-nation","10":"tag-dr-t-a-shettima","11":"tag-nannm","12":"tag-nsiwc","13":"tag-strike"},"yoast_head":"\n