15-Day Ultimatum: State Councils Mobilise Members as NANNM Gears Up for Mother of All Strikes

News Update: 15-Day Ultimatum: State Councils Rally Members as NANNM Gears Up for Historic Strike

Abuja, Nigeria – July 28, 2025, 12:53 PM BST – The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) is mobilizing for what it anticipates will be a historic strike as its 15-day ultimatum expires at midnight today, July 28, 2025. In a notice dated July 25, 2025, signed by Deputy General Secretary Elder Otaru Daniel Shaibu on behalf of General Secretary Dr. T. A. Shettima, NANNM has directed State Councils to rally members at all levels for a 7-day warning strike. Councils in Jigawa, Niger, Delta, Kogi, Lagos, Anambra amongst many others have sent circulars to mobilize members, while Ekiti, Osun, Rivers, and several others have yet to issue similar directives, raising concerns about strike coordination. Meetings are scheduled for today, July 28, 2025, to finalize preparations.

The ultimatum, effective from July 14, 2025, was triggered by the Federal Government’s release of reviewed allowances for health professionals, announced by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in July, 2025, Circulars No: SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646, SWC/S/04/S.218/III/651, and SWC/S/04/S.410/VII/658. NANNM, led by its National President Haruna Mamman, deems this insufficient, with unresolved demands including the gazetting of the 2016 Nurses Scheme of Service and fair allowances.

NANNM’s leadership has instructed State Councils to convene meetings on July 28, 2025, to mobilize members for the strike, which will kick off if the government fails to act by the deadline. The ultimatum, effective from 12:00 midnight on July 14, 2025, targets unresolved issues raised with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The association insists that the circular suspension addresses only one of their demands, with the following still pending:

1. Gazetting the Nurses Scheme of Service, approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) in 2016 in Minna, Niger State.
2. Implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment of January 27, 2012.
3. Upward review of professional allowances for nurses and midwives.
4. Employment of nursing personnel and adequate provision of healthcare facility equipment.
5. Creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health.
6. Inclusion of nurses in the leadership of healthcare policy-making bodies.
7. Fair representation by NANNM on board memberships in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
8. Centralization of internship postings for graduate nurses.
9. Recognition of consultancy opportunities for nurses and midwives.

The strike threatens a total healthcare shutdown if the government fails to act.

In Lagos, Director of Nursing Services (DNS) Nurse Cole Adebukola Oluwabusayo of the Lagos State Health Service Commission (LSHSC) confirmed that nurses will join the strike at midnight, ensuring continued care for critically ill patients in ICU, labor wards, theaters, NICU, and emergencies. “It’s going to be a hard time for our patients, so we all have to try to support one another,” she noted, praying for government intervention to avert the action.

However, concerns persist. Sources speaking to a Fellow Nurses Africa correspondent warn of nurses sabotaging the strike, with some Directors of Nursing Services (DNS) encouraging skeletal services from past strikes. Intimidation, the “no work, no pay” policy, and opposition from other rivalry groups within NANNM further complicate the effort.

As reported earlier on Our Exclusive Coverage: Nigerian Nurses Reject Tinubu’s Allowance Review as Betrayal of Renewed Hope, nurses had already rejected the initial circular. Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support the nursing profession, a spokesperson emphasized, urging solidarity as the deadline looms.

Nurses across Africa are called to unite. Connect with the Fellow Nurses Africa Elite Community on WhatsApp for updates and support: Join Our Esteemed Nursing Circle.

At 12:53 PM BST on July 28, 2025, Nigeria’s healthcare system stands on the brink of a historic disruption. Fellow Nurses Africa will continue to monitor this unfolding crisis and provide the latest updates.

Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support the nursing profession.