Striking Nurses Vow Not to Resume Work Until Demands Are Met

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has declared that its members in Federal Health Institutions across the country will remain on strike until critical demands are met, rejecting calls from the government to suspend their industrial action.

National Chairman Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan made this clear during an appearance on Channels Television’s "Sunrise Daily" on Thursday, just a day after the union resumed its strike despite a meeting with the Minister of Labouron Tuesday.

The strike follows the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by the union on July 14, 2025, after repeated attempts to resolve lingering issues failed.

Rilwan criticized the government’s approach, saying it is no longer acceptable to ask nurses to return to work while their demands are simply being "considered" without timelines or partial implementation.

“That is what the government will definitely ask for, that we should suspend the strike so they can look at our demands,” he said.

“We are not comfortable with that. We have to make sure that parts of the demand are attended to before we can suspend the strike at all.”

Although the union has not disclosed all its current demands in this interview, previous strikes have been tied to issues such as:

• Improved wages and allowances

• Better staffing ratios and working conditions

• Prompt promotion and hazard allowance payments

• Inclusion of nurses in relevant policymaking

The continued strike is likely to cause disruptions in public hospitals nationwide, placing additional pressure on already overstretched health systems, especially in tertiary health institutions where nurses play a critical frontline role.

There has been no official statement from the Labour Ministry since the strike resumed on Wednesday.