Nigeria’s health sector is teetering on the brink of collapse as industrial unrest continues to spread among key healthcare professionals. Following a crippling three-day warning strike by nurses, which caused widespread disruptions nationwide, doctors under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have threatened to begin an indefinite strike starting August 18, 2025, unless the Federal Government addresses a list of 19 critical demands.
The nurses, under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), alledgedlly suspended their week-long planned strike after three days, following meetings with officials from the Federal Ministry of Health, led by Minister Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. Contrary to statements by the Federal Government, nurses firmly insists that the nationwide seven-day warning strike started on July 30, 2025 is still ongoing. However, the pain inflicted during the brief strike was deeply felt. Public hospitals across the country were overwhelmed or partially shut, leaving millions of patients in distress and forcing many to seek expensive care in private facilities.
Despite calling off the strike, the nurses made it clear that their patience has run thin. NANNM President, Comrade Haruna Mamman, warned that the country is facing an impending manpower disaster unless urgent reforms are enacted. “The system is broken,” Mamman stated. “Our demands are not new. We’ve waited years for implementation of court judgments, updated schemes of service, and fair allowances.”
What the Nurses Want:
NANNM outlined nine key demands:
- Gazetting of the nursing scheme of service approved in 2016.
- Implementation of the 2012 National Industrial Court judgment.
- Upward review of professional allowances.
- Mass recruitment of nurses and proper equipping of health facilities.
- Creation of a dedicated nursing department in the Ministry of Health.
- Nurses’ inclusion in leadership and policy-making roles.
- Fair representation of NANNM on boards like FHIs.
- Centralized internship placement for graduate nurses.
- Recognition of consultancy status for senior nurses and midwives.
Mamman emphasized the impact of the unimplemented scheme of service, noting that discrepancies in salary structures across states have demoralized the workforce. “Career progression is stagnating, and we’re losing our best talent abroad,” he said.
Proliferation of Nursing Schools Raises Alarm
NANNM also condemned the unchecked increase of nursing schools in Nigeria without proper oversight by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Dr. Thomas Shettima, NANNM’s National Secretary, argued that flooding the system with poorly trained nurses won’t solve the ongoing brain drain.
He explained that without adequate remuneration or employment opportunities, these nurses become a liability to healthcare quality, potentially resorting to unsafe practices in the informal sector.
Controversial NMCN Verification Policy
Tensions between nurses and NMCN further intensified last year when a new certificate verification policy was introduced. Many nurses viewed it as a deliberate attempt to stifle their freedom to emigrate.
However, NMCN Registrar Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar defended the move, claiming it was meant to curb unprofessional conduct. “Over 42,000 nurses have left Nigeria in the past three years,” he said. “We support international practice, but it must be done through proper channels.”
Doctors Join the Fray: 21-Day Ultimatum Issued
As the dust settles on the nurses’ strike, Nigeria’s doctors are readying for their own industrial action. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) issued a 21-day ultimatum starting July 27, demanding the government address a long-standing list of grievances or face a nationwide doctors’ strike beginning August 18.
Oyo State NMA Chairman, Dr. Happy Adedapo, said only one of the 19 demands withdrawal of a salary review circular has been met. “We’ve been repeating the same demands since 2001. How long can we keep going in circles?” he asked.
Key NMA Demands Include:
- Full payment of 25–35% CONMESS adjustments.
- Settlement of arrears and full payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund.
- Correction of CONHESS/CONMESS discrepancies.
- Implementation of hazard allowances and specialist/consultant entitlements.
- Approval of the new retirement age for medical professionals.
- Access to comprehensive health insurance and improved welfare packages.
Adedapo warned that Nigerian doctors are rapidly fleeing the country due to poor pay and work conditions. “More than 10,000 doctors have migrated in the past two years. The health sector is in free fall,” he said.
Medical Tourism and Brain Drain: A $2B Loss
The consequences of Nigeria’s failing healthcare system are not just local. Dr. Akeem Yusuf, a retired banker, revealed that the country loses $2 billion annually to medical tourism, based on CBN’s foreign exchange allocation data. Combined with foreign education and leisure, a total of $15 billion is drained from the economy each year.
“Imagine if even half of that money went into fixing our hospitals,” Yusuf said. “We wouldn’t be in this mess.”
FG’s Response: New Policies, Slow Progress
In response to the mass exodus of health workers, President Bola Tinubu signed the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, which promotes bilateral agreements and incentives for local retention. Minister Pate said the goal is to “strategically manage health workforce migration” and create incentives for professionals serving in rural areas.
Negotiations with the NMA and NANNM are ongoing. Officials from the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Health, and Head of Service have resumed talks to prevent a doctors’ strike, but optimism remains low among stakeholders.
Nigeria’s health sector is hanging by a thread, with nurses disillusioned and doctors preparing for battle. Unless sweeping reforms are implemented, from fair pay and working conditions to infrastructure and policy overhaul, the country may soon find itself without the workforce needed to sustain its healthcare system.
