“They are Insensitive to the Needs of the Masses” — Nigerian Nurses Association Slams FG, Begins Nationwide Warning Strike

Nurses under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) have commenced a seven-day warning strike, accusing the Federal Government of insensitivity to their demands and the welfare of the Nigerian populace.

The association had issued a 15-day ultimatum on July 14, 2025, demanding urgent government action to avert a nationwide disruption in healthcare services. With no response from authorities, the union says it is left with no choice but to down tools beginning Wednesday, July 30.

Speaking to PUNCH on Tuesday, the National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Comrade Morakinyo Rilwan, expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to initiate dialogue within the allotted time, despite repeated warnings.

Fifteen days is enough for them to call us for negotiations. It is because they are not sensitive to the welfare of the masses. That’s why they allowed 15 good days to elapse,” Rilwan stated.

The association’s demands include:

• Upward review of shift and uniform allowances

• Creation of a separate salary structure for nurses

• Increase in core duty allowance

• Mass employment of nurses to address critical shortages

• Establishment of a Nursing Department in the Federal Ministry of Health

He emphasised that the strike action was not merely a leadership decision but a groundswell movement from frustrated members who have endured poor working conditions for decades.

This strike is not initiated by the leadership of the union; it was initiated by the members. They are tired,” he said. “They are not even contemplating ‘no work, no pay,’ because what they currently earn is not even enough. They’re ready to make that sacrifice.”

He noted that nurses had shown extraordinary patience for over 40 years, often working without gloves or basic equipment, and had never embarked on a strike in that time.

Maybe they are looking at it that these people have not gone on strike for a very long time, so they are not going to go on strike. But they are wrong,” Rilwan added.

The association has vowed that no negotiations, however late, will stop the current warning strike. If, after the seven days, there is still no tangible government response, the union says it will issue another 21-day ultimatum, in line with labour laws, before embarking on an indefinite and total strike.

Rilwan also addressed concerns that some hospitals may not join the industrial action, clarifying that only institutions whose staff are not financial members of the union, such as the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), are excluded.

Other hospitals in Lagos, across the states, and in the Federal Capital Territory are fully participating,” he affirmed.

The strike is already raising concerns over the possible collapse of services in public hospitals if the impasse continues.

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