• Association says enough is enough, scales down operations at UCH, FMCs, others
• FG urges aggrieved health workers to suspend action, embrace dialogue
Hospitals across the country were thrown into disarray yesterday as nurses and midwives began a seven-day nationwide warning strike. Acting under the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), they are demanding better welfare, improved working conditions, and institutional reforms, leaving patients stranded and health services crippled in many facilities.
The union had earlier issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on July 14, 2025, demanding immediate intervention to avert a total collapse of services in federal health institutions.
According to the National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, the government failed to respond within the specified period. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has appealed to the association to shelve the strike.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal yesterday in Abuja during a meeting with the leadership of the association.
The minister urged the association to reconsider its action, insisting that “a strike is not the best solution to industrial disputes.” He appealed to the union to embrace dialogue, assuring that the government is working to address their concerns. Discussions are scheduled to continue tomorrow at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health as efforts to resolve the dispute progress.
The strike forced several government hospitals in Abuja to either discharge patients or drastically scale down operations due to a critical shortage of nursing staff.
During a visit to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, The Guardian observed slow medical services, with long queues at the General Out-Patient Department, Immunisation Section, Consultation Section, and Surgical Out-Patient Department. Patients waited for hours with minimal care, as executives of NANNM monitored compliance with the strike.
Chairman of NANNM at the medical centre, Victor Asu, confirmed that no nurses were on duty.
“I am here today to ensure absolute compliance. Although doctors and other healthcare workers are not on strike, services have become slow, and patients are already complaining. I went to the Intensive Care Unit, and a patient is agitating to be discharged. We have resolved that no member will attend to patients in the wards or stay with them overnight. Normally, nurses provide 24/7 care, but for now, we are fully on strike,” he said.
Abu Isah, who brought his father to FMC, said they arrived at 8:00 a.m. and were still waiting after two hours.
A doctor, who spoke anonymously, admitted: “We’re overwhelmed. Without the nurses, our capacity is extremely limited. We can only offer basic care, but beyond that, our hands are tied.”
At the National Hospital, Abuja, the impact of the strike was also visible. Patients filled the waiting areas, many sitting on the floor or leaning against walls, anxiously hoping for attention. With no nurses on the ground, doctors and other healthcare workers were left to take on roles typically performed by nurses, resulting in painfully slow services.
Relatives of patients expressed frustration over the delays, but many patients chose to remain, fearing their conditions might worsen if they left without being treated.
Chairman of NANNM at the hospital, Joe Akpi, warned that the union would issue a fresh 21-day ultimatum at the end of the warning strike if their demands remained unmet, after which an indefinite strike would follow.
“Inasmuch as we care about the patients, there is nothing we can do. There is an ongoing meeting, but it has been postponed to Friday,” he said. At Wuse General Hospital, patients in the Accident and Emergency Unit were reportedly discharged as doctors struggled to cope without nursing support.
UCH nurses join nationwide strike
Nurses and midwives at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, have joined the ongoing seven-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives to press home demands for improved welfare and better working conditions from the Federal Government.
The Ibadan chapter of the association resolved to join the industrial action after an emergency congress held at the hospital’s Nurse Lounge. Many of the nurses who had earlier reported for duty yesterday morning were later seen leaving the hospital premises, some removing their uniforms before heading home.
Speaking shortly after the congress, the Oyo State Chairman of NANNM, Comrade Olufunmilola Familu, listed the association’s demands. These include the employment of more nursing personnel, provision of adequate facilities in hospitals and health institutions, and the establishment of a directorate cadre for nurses at the Federal Ministry of Health.
She said, “Our conclusion is that we are commencing the seven-day warning strike, as directed by the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, consequent upon which the federal government did not accede to our demands. So we are commencing the seven-day warning strike. Our demands include: employment of more nursing personnel and provision of adequate facilities for our various hospitals and institutions.
“We want a directorate cadre for nurses at the Federal Ministry of Health. We want fair representation of the association at the Federal Ministry of Health. We want consultancy for nurses and midwives, gazetting of the nurses scheme as established by the NCE in 2016, and then centralisation of internship training for nurses. We also want a review of the allowances for nurses and midwives.” Familu expressed concern for patients affected by the strike, noting that the decision was not taken lightly.
“Sadly, we are so concerned about our patients because we do not intend to leave our patients there on the ward, stranded without our care. Nurses provide compassionate, competent care across all settings.
“It is rather sad that we have to resort to this, but we have no choice. We appeal to our patients, our clients, that this is a just cause that we are fighting for. Nurses are the only ones who are embarking on the strike, so there are other healthcare professionals on the ground to attend to any emergency,” she said.
Relatives groan as FMC Abeokuta nurses’ strike worsens patients’ plight
Families and relatives of patients at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, have decried the added financial and emotional burden resulting from the strike embarked upon by members of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
When The Guardian visited the facility yesterday, anxious relatives were seen moving around the wards, many visibly troubled. Doctors on duty were reportedly advising families to transfer their loved ones to private hospitals; a move many said they could not afford.
One man, who identified himself simply as Pastor Mike, said he was contacted early yesterday to move his ailing mother to a private hospital. He expressed concern over the cost of treatment and uncertainty about the continuity of her care.
“They called to inform us that the nurse attending to our mother was no longer available due to the strike. We’re now making arrangements to move her to a private hospital. But you know how expensive they are. We don’t know how long this strike will last or what the consequences of moving her might be,” he lamented.
Boluwatife Idowu, another relative, voiced similar fears about her mother’s worsening health. Her mother, a stroke patient, is unable to speak or move her limbs and remains stuck at FMC due to the family’s inability to raise funds for her transfer.
“This strike is affecting many patients, especially those in critical condition. The doctors have told us to take our loved ones elsewhere, but where do we go when we don’t have money?” she asked. At the surgical emergency ward, a relative who declined to be named said his family had been fortunate that his mother was recovering.
“We’re just waiting for a consultant’s final check before discharge. Otherwise, we would have been asked to leave like others. Thankfully, my mother can now eat by herself,” he said.
In response to the situation, the Acting Chairperson of NANNM, FMC Abeokuta Chapter, Mrs Olufunmilola Adekunle, said the strike would persist until the Federal Government responds to the union’s demands.
She accused the Bola Tinubu administration of being insensitive to the plight of health workers and the state of the healthcare system. While expressing sympathy for patients and their families, she urged the government to act urgently.
“We are overworked, underpaid, and ignored. Many of our members are dealing with back and knee pain from long hours without rest. If the government does not act now, the ‘Japa’ syndrome among healthcare workers will worsen,” she warned.
Health services paralysed in Yenagoa, other Bayelsa communities
Patients and persons in need of healthcare in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and surrounding communities were left stranded yesterday as public hospital nurses across the country began a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands.
The industrial action, declared by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, disrupted operations in public hospitals across Bayelsa from the early hours of the day, with union officials on the ground to monitor compliance.
At the Primary Health Centre in Amarata, Yenagoa, The Guardian observed that the usually busy facility remained shut as of 9:00 a.m., with residents attributing the closure to the strike.
Similarly, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, a few patients were seen loitering around the wards, with no nurses attending to them. Some patients said they had arrived at the hospital as early as 8:00 a.m. but were still waiting to see doctors. Others who had scheduled appointments for yesterday also waited in vain for medical attention.
Chairman of NANNM at FMC, Mr Liberia Woyengibarafagha Progress, who led the strike enforcement team at the hospital, said the strike would involve a complete shutdown, with no provision for skeletal services during the duration of the warning strike.
He said: “We have nine-point demands. In Nigeria, they say nurses should not travel out of the country, and we have been suffering all these while taking care of our patients, and we have been doing our best. At this point, we are asking the government to give us our needs, so that we can also take care of our patients.
“We demand that, government gazette our nursing scheme of service. We are asking for the implementation of the Industrial Act, 2012; upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives; employment of more nursing personnel; and adequate provision of health facilities and equipment.
“Currently, if you look at the hospitals, most times you don’t have equipment. It’s even hard for government to provide electricity in the hospital environment. We have been suffering to take care of our patients. We are saying no—enough is enough.” Mr Progress also called for the creation of a dedicated nursing department at the Federal Ministry of Health.
“We are also asking for the creation of a nursing department. In the federal ministry, the nursing department is not there. Everything boils down to one particular department, which I don’t want to mention. But we, the nurses, know that we are the majority in the health sector, and we are not being recognised in Nigeria. In other countries, they recognise nurses, but not here.” He further demanded that nurses be included in health policy leadership.
“We are also asking for inclusion of nurses in the headship of health policy. What I mean is that most of our boards do not include nurses, yet we form the heart of the health sector. It’s only in a few states in Nigeria that nurses are appointed as Commissioners for Health.”
Additional demands include centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses and the establishment of a consultancy cadre for nurse consultants and practitioners.
“This strike is a total shutdown, with no plan for skeletal services. It affects federal, state and local government nurses nationwide,” he said. Also speaking, the National Treasurer of NANNM, Federal Health Institution Sector, and South-South Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Amos Ombufa, said that after the seven-day warning strike—held in line with labour law—the union would give the Federal Government another 21-day ultimatum to meet the nurses’ demands. He stated that if, at the end of the ultimatum, the demands were still not met, they would proceed with an indefinite strike.
“I urge nurses not to relent. We should press home our demands. As we speak, all the federal hospitals across the nation are totally shut down, especially in the South-South zone where I’m in charge. There is total compliance. There is no provision for skeletal services,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Mr Akpedi Bernard, said it was unfortunate that nurses were proceeding on strike. He added that the management, having anticipated the strike, made efforts to prepare by mobilising doctors to provide skeletal services.
He said: “Concerning the strike declared by NANNM, it’s unfortunate. As a management team, we are not happy about it, particularly because FMC Yenagoa is the only tertiary federal health facility in Bayelsa State. We have the responsibility of taking care of more than 70 per cent of the healthcare needs of the people. It’s the only principal referral centre we have here, too. So, when a strike like this occurs, it really affects us negatively.
“However, the management, anticipating the strike, put things in place by mobilising doctors to see what skeletal services they could provide. Of course, very senior nurses—those at the management cadre—will also lend support, so we can still attend to those with very critical health needs and some urgent cases while the strike is ongoing,” he said.
In a related development, human rights activist and former senator, Shehu Sani, has called on the Federal Government to meet the demands of the striking nurses and midwives.
Sani warned that the unresolved grievances could jeopardise patient care and public health across the country. He stressed that the emotional and financial state of nurses directly impacts the quality of care they provide.
In a post on his official Facebook page, he wrote: “If a nurse is angry and struggling to pay her rent or her children’s school fees, or is dealing with debt or domestic issues, coming to her for an injection is something else.”
The former senator for Kaduna Central said the strike highlights the urgent need for government intervention, not only to end the ongoing action but also to improve the well-being of healthcare workers.
“I appeal to the FG to accede to the demands of the striking nurses and midwives,” he said, adding that fair treatment of medical professionals is essential to the health and safety of Nigerians.
