….urges Health Workers to Call off strike
…Key Demands Must Be Met Before We Suspend Strike, Nurses reply FG
The Federal Government has appealed to the striking health workers, especially the nurses, to call off the ongoing strike, saying the contentious issues can be resolved through negotiations.
Already, the Federal Government said it will be meeting with the leadership of the nurses and doctors on Friday in a bid to thrash out all the issues that led to the strike.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Alli Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister said that all the issues that led to the nurses’ strike have been looked into and actions have been taken by the government to address the situation.
The Minister also announced the approval of the Oncology Centre in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, adding that the Bola Tinubu administration is driving a revolution in the health sector.
The Minister said the federal government has withdrawn the controversial circular on nurses’ wages that recently triggered nationwide outrage among health workers and raised fears of a looming strike.
Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the government was committed to promoting industrial peace and uninterrupted healthcare delivery across the country.
He acknowledged that the circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had caused discontent among nurses and other health professionals due to its implications on accrued wages and welfare entitlements.
“We acknowledge the discontent caused by the recent circular, and in our commitment to a listening government, we have withdrawn it,” the minister said.
“We are now in transparent negotiations to increment allowances and resolve welfare concerns raised by our health workers.”
The circular, which appeared to alter salary structures and entitlements, caused reactions from the Nigeria Union of Nurses and other affiliate health groups, with threats of industrial action unless the directive was rescinded.
Pate confirmed that the government had opened formal dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the nurses’ union, to address their grievances and negotiate in good faith.
He noted that deadlines for the negotiations had been extended and that the ministry of finance was already working on disbursement plans for outstanding arrears.
He also addressed concerns raised by nurses regarding the centralisation of postings and recruitment.
“For the nurses’ demands regarding centralisation of postings, we have agreed to manage postings in a fair and orderly manner,” he said.
Highlighting broader reforms in the sector, Pate praised Tinubu’s leadership in what he described as a “revolution” in the health system, citing the investment in healthcare infrastructure across the country.
Key Demands Must Be Met Before We Suspend Strike, Nurses Insist
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector, Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, has insisted that the union will not suspend its ongoing strike until key aspects of their demands are addressed.
Despite holding a meeting with the Minister of Labour on Tuesday at the expiration of its 15-day ultimatum issued on 14 July, 2025, the union carried on with the industrial action on Wednesday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Rilwan said that the striking nurses will ignore calls by the government to return to duty without meeting some of their demands.
Asked what would happen if the government requests that they first return to work as it considers their demands, Rilwan said, “That is what the government will definitely ask for — that we should suspend the strike so they can look at our demands.
“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.”
He said that they gave government enough time to respond to their demands before embarking on the 7-day warning strike, but nothing was done.
‘Embrace Dialogue’
On Wednesday, the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi, appealed to the nurses and midwives to suspend their ongoing strike, saying that it is not the best solution to industrial disputes.
The Minister urged the Association to embrace dialogue while the government continues to work on addressing their concerns.
According to him, meeting will continue on Friday at the Ministry of Health, as the government works out a resolution to the dispute.
‘We must see commitment’
Speaking further on the programme, the Chairman of the Nurses and Midwives Union said that although it is not in the nurses’ nature to embark on strikes, the industrial action became their last resort to get the government’s attention.
He said that the union must see commitment on the part of the government to consider ending the warning strike.
“It’s not actually in the nurses’ attitude to embark on a strike, and we have been patient enough because we are compassionate. Nurses are empathetic with their patients, we love our patients and don’t want anything to happen to them. But we waited for a long time for all these demands to be met. So, this strike happens to be the last option we have to get the government’s attention.
“Based on the insincerity and insensitivity on the part of the government, I believe some parts of these demands must be met before we can suspend the strike. We have to see serious commitment from the government before taking that step,” he said.
Rilwan reeled out the nurses demands which include gazetting of the scheme of service for nurses, upward review of allowances, specialty allowances for specialist nurses, employment of more nurses by the government, enhancement of nurses remuneration, creation of a department at the federal ministry of health, among others.
Deadlocked meetings
The nurses and midwives union leader admitted to meetings with government representatives seeking an end to the strike, but says the meetings have been mostly inconclusive.
“The minister of Labour invited the leadership on Tuesday which was the last day of that ultimatum but the meeting ended in a deadlock because those that were supposed to be on ground at the meeting were not there, especially our mother ministry, the minister of health was not there, head of service of the federation was not there, so the meeting ended in a deadlock.
“As at yesterday too, the Coordinating Minister Of Health invited the leadership and the meeting was still inconclusive, probably it will continue on Friday,” he said.
Asked what is causing the deadlocks at the meetings, Rilwan replied, “That means there is no tentative agreement met. We have to reach an agreement before we can say the meeting is conclusive. There has to be an MoU signed by the stakeholders before we can say the meeting is conclusive.”
