Nurses Begin Warning Strike, Reject Government Negotiations

Nigerian nurses under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) have commenced a seven-day warning strike today, July 30, 2025, after rejecting any further talks with the Federal Government. The union said the strike would continue as planned, regardless of any last-minute invitations to negotiate.

National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, confirmed to SK that the union had given the government a 15-day ultimatum on July 14, demanding urgent action on a range of issues. These include the upward review of shift and uniform allowances, the creation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowances, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health.

Rilwan stated that no formal response had been received from the government by the deadline. “As far as we are concerned, there has been no communication from the government to this moment. That is why we are saying the strike is going on, and nothing is stopping it,” he said. “Even if the government calls today or tomorrow, it won’t stop the strike. They had enough time.”

He noted that nurses have endured poor working conditions for decades and that the decision to strike was driven by widespread frustration among members. “For over 40 years, we have been patient with them. They subjected us to no provision of gloves or equipment, and for the past 40 years, nurses have not embarked on any strike,” he said.

Rilwan added that members were fully prepared to bear the consequences, including any enforcement of the “no work, no pay” policy. “This strike is not initiated by the leadership of the union; it was initiated by the members, and they said this is what they want. They are tired. They are not even contemplating ‘no work, no pay,’ because the money they are taking is not even enough for them,” he explained.

The union warned that if the government fails to reach a meaningful resolution during the warning strike, a fresh 21-day ultimatum will be issued, after which an indefinite nationwide strike will follow.

Addressing concerns that some hospitals might not join the action, Rilwan clarified that only institutions without active, dues-paying members of the association—such as the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital—are exempt. He affirmed that hospitals across Lagos, other states, and the Federal Capital Territory are participating in the strike.