The House of Representatives has appealed to the striking nurses and midwives in the country to call off the industrial action on behalf of all Nigerians.

While appealing on Thursday, the House Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity emphasised that the nationwide strike has disrupted healthcare services nationwide.

Nurses, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), had on Wednesday begun a seven-day nationwide warning strike following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum over poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions.

According to the Chairman of the committee, Adegboyega Adefarati, both the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Health are actively engaging in dialogue with the leadership of the nurses and midwives to resolve these issues as soon as possible.

Adefarati, who urged the leadership of Nigerian nurses and midwives to embrace the opportunity for dialogue, stressed that the industrial action be called off in the spirit of patriotism and commitment to national development.

He said, “The House Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity deeply empathises with Nigerian nurses and midwives over their service concerns and acknowledges their vital roles in safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens.

“However, in this critical period of our nation’s economic transformation, it is imperative that we prioritise the collective interests of all Nigerians. The ongoing nationwide strike has significantly disrupted healthcare services across the country, further straining our health sector.

“While we recognise the importance of addressing the legitimate grievances of our health professionals, we urge the leadership of the Nigerian Nurses and Midwives to consider the aggregate interest of all Nigerians.

“We believe that through constructive engagement and mutual understanding, we can achieve balanced outcomes that respect the needs of our health workers while safeguarding the health rights and well-being of all Nigerians.

“We appeal to the leadership of the Nigerian Nurses and Midwives to show leadership and patriotism by suspending the strike, as we work together to restore full healthcare services for our citizens.”