Hospitals across Nigeria faced major disruptions last week after nurses went on strike. The strike was led by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
The strike began on Wednesday and ended on Saturday.
On Friday, after a private meeting with the nurses’ leaders, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare said the strike was called off because both sides reached an agreement.
The strike left many patients helpless and slowed down services in major hospitals. Only very basic services were running in teaching hospitals, specialist hospitals, and federal medical centres.
On July 14, 2025, the nurses’ union gave the government 15 days to act or face a full shutdown of the health system.
The nurses asked for better pay and benefits. Their demands included higher shift and uniform allowances, a separate salary scale for nurses, more core duty allowance, hiring more nurses, and creating a nursing department in the Ministry of Health.
One of their biggest complaints was the government’s ₦20,000 annual budget per nurse, which they said was disrespectfully low.
They also complained about working with poor or missing equipment—like gloves—and said they had put up with these conditions for years without complaint.
Morakinyo Rilwan, the national leader of nurses in federal hospitals, told our reporter that the strike came from deep frustration. He said their problems include poor working conditions, nurses leaving the country, delays in salary upgrades, and failure to apply new work policies.
He mentioned a lack of equipment, low uniform allowances, and many other problems that affect how nurses care for patients.
Rilwan said the government ignored their demands, even after the 15-day warning, showing a clear lack of care for nurses.
Nurses in Nigeria have been begging the government while working in very bad conditions,” he said. “We didn’t want to strike, but we are fed up.”
He pointed out that political leaders go abroad for medical care, and often get treated by Nigerian nurses working in better conditions overseas. He said this proves Nigerian nurses perform well when given the right tools and environment.
He described working conditions in government hospitals as terrible. He said even when gloves and other supplies are made available, they are not enough.
“Nurses are forced to find ways to work without proper tools,” he said. “There’s no modern equipment, and that’s what we’ve been complaining about.”
He gave examples of what nurses go through: “Imagine needing surgical gloves and not having any. Or needing an electric suction machine but using a manual one instead. Sometimes we even use basic tools like a simple catheter to do jobs that need special equipment. We just make do with whatever we can find,” he explained.
He also spoke about the ₦20,000 uniform allowance, which hasn’t changed in 20 years. Yet nurses work day and night in white uniforms that often get dirty from blood, vomit, and other fluids.
“You need several uniforms in a week,” he said. “₦20,000 isn’t even enough to sew one uniform. Other professions now get much higher allowances. Some get ₦100,000 while nurses still get ₦20,000.”
He added that nurses and fire service workers were the first to receive uniform allowances, but now others who came later are getting more money. He called it unfair.
When asked what the ideal uniform allowance should be, Rilwan suggested ₦200,000 to ₦300,000 per nurse per year.
“Nurses need at least three uniforms a week. We also need aprons or scrubs. At today’s prices, ₦20,000 can’t cover even one full set,” he said.
He also explained why nurses need their own salary structure and a dedicated department in the Health Ministry. “Our work is very different from others. We run day and night shifts while caring for patients in every way.”
“Nurses work night shifts from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. They handle sick patients, give drugs, feed them, clean them, and offer emotional support. Nighttime is when most illnesses get worse. Nurses don’t sleep during these shifts,” he said.
He said nurses deserve special allowances for the stress and risks they face. “It’s not fair to group us with other workers like gatekeepers and give us the same ₦30,000.”
“In the past, nurses and doctors got a special call duty allowance. But now, doctors, pharmacists, and lab scientists are grouped separately, and nurses are lumped together with others. That’s not right.”
“Our work is unique. We need our own salary structure to include all the special benefits that nurses deserve,” he concluded.
