Amanze ChinonyeThe National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has suspended its nationwide warning strike following a resolution reached by its National Executive Council (NEC). The decision, announced in a circular issued on Saturday, directs all members including interns and locum staff to resume duty immediately across health facilities in the country.
The union assured members that no participant in the industrial action would face any form of victimization. It said the decision to suspend the strike was taken after a review of the implementation status of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant stakeholders.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“The National Executive Council of NANNM met and reviewed the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant stakeholders. The Council resolved to suspend the ongoing warning strike and directed members to resume work without delay,” the circular stated.
The warning strike, which commenced earlier in the week, was declared to protest poor remuneration, career stagnation, the exclusion of nurses from the recently approved hazard allowance, and delays in implementing the revised Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), among other issues. The strike had affected services across federal and state-owned hospitals, with many outpatient clinics and wards operating at limited capacity.
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On Friday, Health Minister Professor Muhammad Ali Pate had told reporters that the strike had been called off, sparking confusion among health workers and members of the public. However, NANNM’s National Chairman, Comrade Morakinyo Rilwan, promptly clarified that only the NEC was constitutionally empowered to suspend or call off a strike. He maintained that until such a decision was made, the industrial action remained in force.
Saturday’s NEC resolution has now brought clarity and relief to the situation, as many hospitals across the country begin returning to full operation. The union, however, warned that while the strike is suspended, it will continue to monitor the implementation of the government’s commitments and will not hesitate to take further action if agreements are not honored within the agreed timelines.
There has been no official response yet from the Federal Ministry of Health following the NEC’s announcement. The suspension of the strike comes amid growing unrest in Nigeria’s health sector, which has witnessed repeated industrial actions by various professional groups over longstanding issues of poor funding, brain drain, and welfare disparities.
As nurses return to work, attention will now shift to how swiftly and sincerely the federal government fulfils its part of the agreement, in what could be a test of trust between health authorities and frontline professionals.
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