Fellow Nurses Africa News, Lagos Nigeria. 21 July, 2025.
Tinubu Pauses Disputed Health Workers’ Allowance Review, Initiates Talks with NANNM and others
In a pivotal move, President Tinubu’s administration has suspended the contentious circulars reviewing allowances for medical, dental, and other health professionals in the federal public service.
Announced in a letter dated July 18, 2025, by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) Chairman/CEO Ekpo U. O. Nta, Esq., the decision follows intense pressure from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
The suspension opens the door for further consultations with NANNM and other health sector unions, offering a ray of hope amid escalating tensions.
The NSIWC letter, addressed to key government figures including the Chief of Staff and the Minister of Finance, halts the implementation of Circulars No: SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646, SWC/S/04/S.218/III/651, and SWC/S/04/S.410/VII/658, issued on June 27 and June 30, 2025. This follows a Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) meeting on July 18, 2025, where the decision was made to pause the process for broader dialogue.
The move comes just days after NANNM’s emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on July 10, 2025, where the association issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government, set to expire on July 29, 2025, threatening a 7-day warning strike over what they called a “grossly inadequate and discriminatory” allowance review.
NANNM, led by Comrade Nurse Haruna Mamman and Dr. T. A. Shettima, had previously voiced frustration over unmet demands, including the gazetting of the 2016 Nurses Scheme of Service, fair allowances, and increased staffing. As reported by Fellow Nurses Africa on Our Exclusive Coverage: Nigerian Nurses Reject Tinubu’s Allowance Review as Betrayal of Renewed Hope, nurses had already labeled the circular a betrayal, fueling their resolve. The suspension now offers a chance to address these concerns, though NANNM has yet to comment officially.
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