Minister of Health, Ali Pate | File Image
By Valentine Amanze
National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has called off the national strike it embarked upon over poor welfare.
Minister of Health, Ali Pate, disclosed this to journalists after a meeting with officials of the association in Abuja on Friday August 1, 2025.
Pate said that the decision followed agreements the government reached with the leadership of the nursing association.
But, the leaders of the union declined to speak on the matter after the close-door meeting on Friday afternoon.
Nurses and midwives under the association had commenced a warning strike on July 29, 2025, following what the union described as the government’s failure to respond meaningfully to its 15-day ultimatum issued on July 14, 2025.
The warning strike involving nurses in public health institutions across the country was expected to continue till August 5, 2025.
The strike stemmed from longstanding concerns about nurses’ welfare and poor working conditions, and the government’s reluctance to address their concerns.
The union had demanded improved welfare, fair allowances, and better working conditions for nurses across federal health institutions.
The union’s National Chairman, Morakinyo Rilwan, had stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria failed to engage meaningfully with the association during the window provided.
“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.
“Even if the government calls today or tomorrow, it won’t stop the strike. They had enough time,” Rilwan had said.
Also read: Workers begin nationwide strike
The nurses’ demands include the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, implementation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the creation of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health.
Rilwan explained that the decision to down tools was not unilaterally taken by the union’s leadership, but driven by a groundswell of frustration among members over long-standing neglect.
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