The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has revealed that 90 per cent of its demands to the Federal Government are administrative and carry no financial implications.
Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of NANNM, Mrs Josephine Bassey, made this known while addressing the ongoing seven-day warning strike embarked upon by the association, which commenced on Wednesday, July 30.
During an interview in Calabar, Bassey explained that the majority of the demands centred on administrative matters, including the implementation of policy documents and the enforcement of court rulings.
She added that another key demand was the gazetting of long-standing approvals by the National Council on Establishments.
“Our demands include the gazetting of the nursing scheme of service approved since 2016 and the creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Another key demand is the centralisation of internship for nursing graduates,” she said.
She added that other demands include the review of provisional allowances for nurses and midwives, as well as the appointment of nurses to the boards of federal and state health institutions.
She also stressed the urgent need for the employment of more nurses due to severe staffing shortages.
Bassey noted that compliance with the strike directive was total, with 100 per cent participation recorded on the first day.
“We started as early as 7:30 a.m. to monitor all health facilities across the state to ensure full compliance,” she said.
She warned that any nurse who defied the strike directive risked being dismissed and facing sanctions from the national body.
“Nurses constitute about 60 to 65 per cent of the healthcare workforce,” she said. “If the government truly values the vital role we play in delivering healthcare services, it should respond to our demands without delay.”
While acknowledging the strike’s impact on patients, she appealed to the public for understanding and support.
“We share in the pain of the patients, but we also call on them to raise their voices on our behalf—appealing to well-meaning Nigerians and the government to urgently address our concerns,” she added.
Bassey further assured that nurses would promptly resume work as soon as their demands were addressed.
