By Oso Abidemi
The Federal Government has pledged to implement critical reforms aimed at improving the welfare, career structure, and working conditions of nurses, following the suspension of a nationwide strike by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
The week-long strike, which disrupted healthcare services across the country, was called off over the weekend after both parties reached a consensus during a reconciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, on Friday, August 1.
A seven-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was signed by union representatives and senior officials from the Ministries of Health and Labour, outlining measures to address longstanding issues affecting the nursing profession.
One of the major outcomes was the federal government’s commitment to gazette the long-delayed Nurses’ Scheme of Service, originally approved by the National Council on Establishments in 2016.
The scheme, once gazetted, will define a clear professional and career pathway for nurses in the public sector.
The Ministry of Health is expected to work with the Office of the Head of Civil Service to finalise the process within four weeks.
In addition to structural recognition, the government agreed to review key allowances proposed by the union.
These include a 30% consolidated shift duty allowance, a 20% annual specialist allowance, and an increase in uniform allowance to ₦300,000 annually.
Other provisions include a 4% consolidated call duty allowance, a 35% teaching allowance, and new allowances to address burnout, excess workload, and retention challenges.
To address concerns around the centralisation of internship placements, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has been tasked with finalising an equitable placement model for graduate nurses across all states.
The MoU also guarantees the representation of nurses on the boards of tertiary health institutions and the constitution of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Governing Board as soon as possible.
On workforce expansion, the Ministry of Health disclosed that over 14,000 health workers were approved for recruitment in 2024, with nurses making up around 60% of that figure.
While that process is complete, preparations for the 2025 recruitment are already underway.
With the agreement in place, NANNM has directed its members to resume work immediately.
Both parties agreed that no nurse would face disciplinary action for participating in the strike.
