Nigerian nurses call off strike afta four days

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Di National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) don finally suspend dia seven-days strike on day four.

President of di association, Haruna Mamman tok say govment don approve most of di association demands.

"We meet wit govment officials yesterday, and dem don meet most of our demands," e tok

"Di remaining ones, we go meet by Wednesday and decide on di remaining demands. Since di goment don respond e beta make we call off di strike and continue wit negotiation." E tok.

On Friday evening, di association bin call for emergency council meeting wit im members on dia final decision afta di minister of health declare say dem don suspend di strike after dem meet wit govment officials.

Ofere Oluwatonyin, di deputy general secretary of NANNM inside one statement on Friday bin respond afta di outcome of di meeting wit di Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate and oda stakeholders say, all dia members go need wait for di final decision of di nursing council.

"Following di outcome of di negotiation meeting wey hold today, 1st August 2025, wit di Honourable Ministers of Health & Social Welfare, Labour & Employment, Permanent Secretary FMOH&SW, NISWC, Office of di HCSOF and oda top govment officials, di National Secretariat wish to inform all NANNM Members say we no go make final decision until National Executive Council (NEC) review and ratify di outcome of di emergency meeting wey go hold on Saturday 2nd August 2025 Via Zoom," di statement tok.

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On Friday, federal govment of Nigeria bin announce say NANNM don call off dia strike.

Di strike wey start on Wednesday bin cause di shutdown of operations for many hospitals as many patients also suffer from a lack of proper health care.

Di association bin ask dia members make dem down dia tools until August 5, 2025.

Di association start dia seven-day warning strike on July 29, 2025, accusing di goment say dem refuse to act on di 15-day ultimatum, dem bin issue on July 14.

Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate, on Friday confam say di nursing association don call off di strike afta one brief meeting wit di association.

Tashikalmah Hallah di tok-tok pesin to di Nigerian Minister of Health and Social Welfare also confam give BBC say dem don call off di strike.

"We just finish di meeting wit di nurses dem don gree to call off di strike immediately," di tok-tok pesin say.

Di association dey demand for beta work condition, and di goment unwillingness to address dia issues.

Di association dey demand for improve welfare packages, equitable allowances, and betta working environments for nurses wey dey work for federal health facilities.

BBC Pidgin bin report say di strike don affect activities for Accident and Emergency ward for University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Why Nigerian nurses bin embark on strike?

Di nursing association bin make nine demands from di federal govment, inside statement

  • Di association dey demand make govment officially approve di Nurses Scheme of Service.
  • Make dem implement di National Industrial Court (NIC) Judgment of January 27, 2012 (Suit No: NIC/AB316/2020).
  • Make di federal goment review di professional allowance for nurses and midwives.
  • Also, dem demand for employment of more nurses and make goment provide dem wit adequate health facility equipment.
  • Di association ask goment make dem create department of nursing for federal ministry of health.
  • Dem dey demand for inclusion of nurses for di leadership of health policy-making bodies.
  • Dem also want fair representation of di association on di board and membership for federal health institutions.
  • Di association demand for centralization of internship posting for graduate nurses.
  • Di association also want make dem include nurses and midwives in consultancy.

General Secretary of NANNM, Dr. Shettima bin issue one statement on July 25, e tok say di association dey give govment 15 days ultimate make dem meet dia demands.

Inside di letter, di association tok say govment don neglect di needs of di nursing profession.

Di association also say despite say dem dey "understanding wit govment and employers to ensure say dem work togeda well for di past four decades", dia employers for all levels don remove di respect wey di profession get.

According to dem, e don lead to "gross insensitiveness" to di legitimate demands of dia members and anytime dem wan go on strike, dem dey tink about di needs of patients and clients.

"And e dey make us to painfully avoid di only language (strike) wey govment dey understand."

Medical experts bin say di strike go affect patients wey need medical attention, especially pipo wey dey for intensive care and maternity wards for federal goment medical facilities.

"Patients no go receive nursing care. In oda words, dem no go get optimal care," Dr Weriwoyingepri Silver tell BBC News Pidgin.

For 2020, Nigerian nurses under di trade union join bodi of nurses and midwives join oda health workers to embark on strike ova hazard allowances for dia members.

Dis na during di global pandemic wia dem bin dey earn 5,000 naira ($10) for hazard allowance.

For 2021, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) bin push for federal govment to employ more nurses, as more nurses don japa, according to di Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

For 2024, Nurses and midwives for Nigeria demand make govment review dia salary afta goment bin increase di salary of doctors but abandon oda health sector.