Nurses and Midwives working at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, have joined the seven-day warning strike to press home their demands from the Federal Government.

Rising from an emergency Congress held at the Nurse Lounge of the hospital, nurses and midwives under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, UCH Chapter, Ibadan, stated that they saw the need to align with the directive in the interest of the workers.

Many of the nurses who had reported for duty on Wednesday morning were seen returning to their posts, with a resolve to remove their uniforms and return home.

Speaking shortly after the congress, the State Chairman, Comrade Olufunmilola Familu, said the demands of the association include employment of more nursing personnel and provision of adequate facilities for the various hospitals and health institutions, demand for directorate cadre for nurses at the Federal Ministry of Health, among others.

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.”

The Chairman said, “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 and clients that this is a just cause for which we are fighting. Nurses are the only ones that are embarking on the strike, so there are other healthcare professionals on ground to attend to any emergency. The strike commenced officially at midnight on the 29th of July, 2025, nationwide.”