Key Demands Must Be Met Before We Suspend Strike, Nurses Insist
The National Chairman of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector, Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, has insisted that the union will not suspend its ongoing strike until key aspects of their demands are addressed.
Despite holding a meeting with the Minister of Labour on Tuesday at the expiration of its 15-day ultimatum issued on 14 July, 2025, the union carried on with the industrial action on Wednesday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Rilwan said that the striking nurses will ignore calls by the government to return to duty without meeting some of their demands.
Asked what would happen if the government requests that they first return to work as it considers their demands, Rilwan said, “That is what the government will definitely ask for — that we should suspend the strike so they can look at our demands.
“We are not comfortable with that. We have to make sure that parts of the demand are attended to before we can suspend the strike at all.”
He said that they gave government enough time to respond to their demands before embarking on the 7-day warning strike, but nothing was done.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi, appealed to the nurses and midwives to suspend their ongoing strike, saying that it is not the best solution to industrial disputes.
The Minister urged the Association to embrace dialogue while the government continues to work on addressing their concerns.
According to him, meeting will continue on Friday at the Ministry of Health, as the government works out a resolution to the dispute.
Speaking further on the programme, the Chairman of the Nurses and Midwives Union said that although it is not in the nurses’ nature to embark on strikes, the industrial action became their last resort to get the government’s attention.
He said that the union must see commitment on the part of the government to consider ending the warning strike.
“It’s not actually in the nurses’ attitude to embark on a strike, and we have been patient enough because we are compassionate. Nurses are empathetic with their patients, we love our patients and don’t want anything to happen to them. But we waited for a long time for all these demands to be met. So, this strike happens to be the last option we have to get the government’s attention.
“Based on the insincerity and insensitivity on the part of the government, I believe some parts of these demands must be met before we can suspend the strike. We have to see serious commitment from the government before taking that step,” he said.
READ ALSO: Nurses Shun FG Appeals, Begin Seven-Day Warning Strike
Rilwan reeled out the nurses demands which include gazetting of the scheme of service for nurses, upward review of allowances, specialty allowances for specialist nurses, employment of more nurses by the government, enhancement of nurses remuneration, creation of a department at the federal ministry of health, among others.
The nurses and midwives union leader admitted to meetings with government representatives seeking an end to the strike, but says the meetings have been mostly inconclusive.
“The minister of Labour invited the leadership on Tuesday which was the last day of that ultimatum but the meeting ended in a deadlock because those that were supposed to be on ground at the meeting were not there, especially our mother ministry, the minister of health was not there, head of service of the federation was not there, so the meeting ended in a deadlock.
“As at yesterday too, the Coordinating Minister Of Health invited the leadership and the meeting was still inconclusive, probably it will continue either today or Friday,” he said.
Asked what is causing the deadlocks at the meetings, Rilwan replied, “That means there is no tentative agreement met. We have to reach an agreement before we can say the meeting is conclusive. There has to be an MoU signed by the stakeholders before we can say the meeting is conclusive.”
