15-Day Ultimatum: NANNM Threatens Total Healthcare Shutdown as 7-Day Warning Strike Begins on Tuesday

News Update: 15-Day Ultimatum: NANNM Threatens Total Healthcare Shutdown as 7-Day Warning Strike Begins Tuesday

Abuja, Nigeria – July 26, 2025, 11:03 AM BST – The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has escalated its stance,informing the State Councils Leaderships to prepare members at all levels by convoking the meetings of all relevant organs on Monday 28th July, 2025, with a view to mobilizing them for the 7-day warning strike, billed to kick-start ať the expiry of the ongoing ultimatum, peradventure the Tinubu led Federal Government fails to do the needful.

This development follows a notice dated July 25, 2025, signed by Deputy General Secretary Elder Otaru Daniel Shaibu on behalf of General Secretary Dr. T. A. Shettima, directing State Councils to prepare members for industrial action. The ultimatum, effective from July 8, 2025, expires at midnight on July 29, 2025, leaving the government with mere hours to act as of today.

The escalation comes despite the Federal Government’s suspension of the reviewed allowances for health professionals, announced by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on July 18, 2025, pausing 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 the unreachable National President Haruna Mamman, rejects this move as insufficient, arguing it addresses only one of their nine demands.

These include the gazetting of the 2016 Nurses Scheme of Service, fair allowances, and enhanced staffing. State Councils have been ordered to convene meetings on July 28, 2025, to mobilize members for the strike, signaling NANNM’s readiness to disrupt healthcare services nationwide.

Anonymous sources within NANNM, speaking to a Fellow Nurses Africa correspondent, confirmed the association’s determination, noting that the 15-day ultimatum reflects growing frustration over unaddressed welfare issues. As reported earlier on Our Exclusive Coverage: Nigerian Nurses Reject Tinubu’s Allowance Review as Betrayal of Renewed Hope, nurses had already voiced strong opposition to the initial circular, a sentiment now amplified by this extended deadline.

Nurses across Africa are invited to join a supportive network. Connect with the Fellow Nurses Africa Elite Community on WhatsApp for updates and unity: Join Our Esteemed Nursing Circle.

At 11:03 AM BST on July 26, 2025, with the strike deadline just days away, Nigeria’s healthcare system faces an unprecedented threat. Fellow Nurses Africa will continue to monitor this critical situation and provide the latest updates.

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