It is not yet Uhuru in Nigeria’s public tertiary health facilities despite the suspension of strike by nurses and midwives, as the Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, is bracing up for industrial action over almost the same issues the government is battling to resolve with the nurses.
The Federal Government of Nigeria is crossing the ‘Ts and dotting the ‘i’s in its efforts to implement key structural reforms aimed at improving the welfare and professional standing of nurses across the country, days after the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, suspended its 7-day strike
The strike had disrupted healthcare services across the country as nurses and midwives in tertiary health facilities stayed away in protest over unresolved issues regarding their welfare, professional recognition, and working conditions.
On Friday August 1, 2025, a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was reached at a reconciliation meeting
between the federal government and the NANNM
The 7-point agreement signed by NANNM officials, ministries of health labour and employment, resolved that the federal government will gazette the Nurses’ Scheme of Service.
The scheme was approved by the National Council on Establishments in 2016. Under the agreement, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will liaise with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to expedite the process, even as the Director of Nursing and the Secretary General of NANNM were tasked with following up with the Head of Service to ensure completion within four weeks.
Part of the Scheme outlines the career structure and professional framework for nurses in Nigeria and its gazetting is expected to bring long-awaited clarity and recognition to the nursing profession within the public service.
On professional allowances, the federal government acknowledged the union’s proposals, which included a 30 per cent consolidated shift duty allowance, a 20 per cent annual specialist allowance and an upward review of uniform allowance to 300,000 per annum from N20,000
Additionally, a 4 per cent consolidated call duty allowance, 35 percent teaching allowance, and the introduction of allowances for excess workload, burnout, as well as retention were also agreed upon.
Most of these items are expected to be implemented within two weeks.
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But while all these were ongoing, the Joint Health Sector Union and the National Union of Allied Healthcare Professionals are bracing up to down tools.
In a release jointly signed by JOHESU Chairman , Ado Kabiru and secretary, Martins Egbanubi, issues raised by the nurses union are also in their demands except for a few like retirement age for consultant pharmacists, which has been agreed to be 70 years as well as the allegation that officials of government are conspiring with the Nigeria Medical Association, which the umbrella body of doctors renege on October 24, 2024 agreements reached on their welfare and condition of service.
As the heat rages on in the hospital, with claims that JOHESU members constitute 80% of workforce, how government manages these various interests will go a long way to save Nigeria’s public health institutions from another shutdown
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
