First national nurses strike in over 20 years enters second day amid failed talks.
Nurses in Nigeria’s public hospitals have entered the second day of a seven‑day warning strike, marking the first such action in over two decades. The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) issued the strike starting July 30, 2025, citing urgent demands for better pay, working conditions, and increased staffing levels.
Talks with a government delegation led by the Labour Minister broke down, largely because the Health Minister, Ali Pate, was absent. Union leaders criticized the meeting as symbolic rather than substantive, emphasizing the absence of key decision‑makers.
With more than 42,000 nurses having left Nigeria for opportunities abroad in the last three years, hospitals across the country are teetering on the brink of collapse. The strike threatens access to critical healthcare services amid already fragile medical infrastructure.
The union has warned that if demands are not met by the end of the week, the warning strike may escalate to an indefinite national strike—a crisis that could further expose systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s public health sector.
I’m Adedayo Obadina
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