Health Workers Urged To End Strike As Government Pledges Negotiation.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, alongside the House of Representatives, has called on striking health workers, particularly nurses and midwives, to suspend their ongoing industrial action and return to the negotiation table. The appeal comes as the nationwide seven-day warning strike, initiated by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), entered its second day on Thursday, causing significant disruptions in federal medical centres, teaching hospitals, and other public health facilities across the country.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, addressed the media in Abuja following a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu. He emphasised the government’s commitment to resolving the issues fuelling the strike through dialogue. “This is a listening government,” Pate stated, highlighting that a controversial circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which had sparked outrage among health workers, has been withdrawn. He added that negotiations are underway to address demands for increased allowances and improved working conditions.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, follows the collapse of talks between NANNM and federal authorities after a 15-day ultimatum issued by the union expired without resolution. The union is demanding better remuneration, safer working environments, and the recruitment of additional nurses to address a severe workforce shortage, with over 42,000 nurses having left Nigeria for overseas opportunities in the past three years. NANNM has warned that failure to meet its 12-point demands could lead to an indefinite strike after the current warning period.
President Tinubu’s administration has been praised by Pate for its efforts to reform Nigeria’s health sector, including upgrades to tertiary health institutions. However, the striking workers, led by NANNM’s Federal Health Institutions Sector, have expressed frustration over unfulfilled promises. A meeting with the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi, on Tuesday ended in a deadlock due to the absence of key stakeholders, further straining relations.
The House of Representatives has echoed the government’s call, assuring health workers that their grievances can be addressed through constructive dialogue. Lawmakers urged the unions to prioritise patient care while negotiations continue, stressing that health workers remain the “lifeblood of the healthcare system.”
As disruptions affect emergency wards and primary healthcare centres, the government has reiterated its commitment to averting further industrial action. Pate noted that meetings with union leaders are scheduled for Friday, aiming to “thrash out” contentious issues. Meanwhile, NANNM has insisted that tangible commitments, not mere promises, are required to halt the strike.
The public awaits the outcome of these talks, hoping for a swift resolution to restore normalcy to Nigeria’s beleaguered healthcare system.
