CDWR SUPPORTS THE ONGOING SEVEN-DAY NATIONWIDE WARNING STRIKE ACTION BY NURSES AND MIDWIVES FOR BETTER WELFARE AND WORKING CONDITIONS
CDWR CALLS ON THE TINUBU-LED GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE GOVERNMENTS TO MEET NURSES DEMANDS
Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) supports the ongoing seven-day nationwide warning strike action embarked upon by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses (NANNM) over poor working conditions and welfare. The strike action began on Wednesday July 30, 2025 after the expiration of strike notice and the failure of the federal and the state governments to meet the union’s demands.
Some of the demands of the nurses and midwives through the union are as follows:
(1) Upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives.
(2) Employment of more nurses and deployment into public hospitals across the country.
(3) Provision of health equipment and facilities in public hospitals to enhance healthcare delivery.
(4) Implementation of the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment (Suit No: NIC/AB16/2020) delivered on January 27, 2012.
(5) Inclusion of nurses in the leadership of health policy-making bodies and organs.
(6) For the Gazette of Nurses Scheme of Service approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) etc.
The demands of the nurses are legitimate and if met by the federal and state governments, healthcare delivery will be enhanced and the motivation to travel abroad for greener pastures (JAPA) will reduce. Rather than improve public healthcare for Nigerian people, top government officials choose to embark on expensive medical tourism at the expense of healthcare and wellbeing of Nigerians. We condemn the refusal of the Tinubu-led government and the respective state governments to meet the demands of nurses.
We call on the leadership of NANNM to make the strike action an active one including embarking on daily Congresses, rallies, press conferences and public protests. We call on the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to actively back the strike with solidarity actions including rallies, protests and warning strikes.
CDWR hereby demands that the Tinubu-led government and the state governments should meet NANNM demands without any delay. We also demand for public massive investment in the healthcare sector that will include employment of the required number nurses and other healthcare professionals, equipping the existing public hospitals and the building of additional and well-equipped hospitals; for democratic and transparent management of public hospitals by healthcare professionals.
SIGNED:
Comrade Rufus Olusesan
National Chairperson
