Nigerian nurses go on strike over staffing and pay as negotiations break down
Nurses in Nigeria’s state hospitals went on a seven-day “warning” strike on Wednesday, asking for higher pay, better working conditions, and more jobs. This came after the government had two weeks to resolve the issue without any progress.
The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) said that they would go on strike for good next week if their demands were not met. This would be the first strike in over 20 years.
Christianah Adeboboye, head of the nurses’ and midwives’ union in Lagos, said, “We hope that before the seventh day, we’ll have help and attention from the federal government.”
A meeting on Tuesday between the union and a group from the government led by Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi finished without a deal being made.
Toba Odumosu, the union secretary in Lagos, said, “When you look at the makeup of the meeting, it already shows that no outcome could have been gotten out of that meeting.” He pointed out that Health Minister Ali Pate’s absence as a major problem.
The standoff shows how far apart healthcare workers and the government are becoming, putting patients at risk as hospitals get ready for more problems.
The union is pushing for more nurses to be hired because, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, over 42,000 nurses have left Nigeria for work outside of Nigeria in the last three years.
