Nurses in Ondo State, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, have commenced an indefinite strike over alleged poor welfare packages from the state government.
The chairman of NANNM, Felix Orobode, announced the industrial action on Thursday while addressing journalists in Akure.
He stated that an emergency council meeting was held on January 30, 2025, during which the decision to withdraw services indefinitely from 12:00 a.m. on Friday was reached.
Orobode lamented that despite multiple negotiations and concessions, the government had failed to honour its commitment to improving nurses’ welfare.
He alleged that another health profession was favoured over nurses when salary adjustments were made in July 2024.
“Following the approval of the N73,000 minimum wage by His Excellency, the adjustment made on our salary structure (CONHESS) was marred with irregularities, which our association and other unions under the salary structure immediately rejected. This necessitated another round of negotiations, where a consensus was reached to implement a new salary table from January 2025,” he said.
However, he expressed disappointment that the January 2025 salary was paid based on the old salary structure, violating the agreement reached with the government.
The association emphasized that nurses and midwives have continued to work under challenging conditions despite the mass exodus of healthcare workers from the state.
“Nurses and midwives play multiple roles, often filling in for doctors, pharmacists, health information officers, and even security personnel in various general hospitals and health centres. Despite our sacrifices, our welfare concerns are treated with levity,” Orobode stated.
He called on the government to take urgent measures to address the welfare of nurses, warning that brain drain remains a critical challenge to healthcare delivery in the state.
