Health Minister Ali Pate Holds Closed-Door Meeting With Striking Nurses And Midwives

The Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate, held a closed-door meeting on Friday with leaders of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and officials from the Ministry of Labour.

The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to resolve issues raised by the NANNM, whose members began a warning strike on July 29, 2025.

The union had earlier given the government a 15-day notice on July 14, but said the response it got was unsatisfactory.

The strike, which involves nurses and midwives across government hospitals nationwide, is expected to run until August 5, 2025.

It comes in response to years of complaints about poor working conditions, lack of proper allowances, and general neglect of the nursing profession by federal authorities.

Union leaders say their members are demanding better pay, improved welfare, and working conditions that reflect the vital role nurses play in the health sector.

NANNM’s National Chairman, Morakinyo Rilwan, said the government had enough time to act but failed to make any serious moves before the strike began.

“As far as we are concerned, there has been no communication from the government to this moment. That is why we are saying the strike is going on, and nothing is stopping it.

“Even if the government calls today or tomorrow, it won’t stop the strike. They had enough time,,” Rilwan said.

He also made it clear that the strike wasn’t just the decision of union executives, but a collective action driven by years of frustration among nurses who feel ignored.

The nurses’ demands include the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, implementation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the creation of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health.

KanyiDaily recalls that the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives in Federal Health Institutions (NANNM-FHI) kicked off a seven-day warning strike on July 30.