By Peter Omopo
Abuja, August 4, 2025 — The Federal Government has pledged to gazette the long-delayed Nurses’ Scheme of Service within four weeks and initiate steps for the centralised placement of intern nurses, effectively ending a strike threat by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
This resolution was reached during a conciliation meeting held on Friday, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, and attended by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, along with top officials and representatives of NANNM.
The meeting followed a seven-day warning strike by nurses and midwives, which commenced on Wednesday, over longstanding demands including the gazetting of the Scheme of Service, career advancement structures, and improved allowances.
Following the government’s commitment, NANNM suspended the strike on Saturday, averting further disruption of health services nationwide.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday detailed the agreements reached. Signatories to the MoU included NANNM President Haruna Mamman, General Secretary T.A. Shettima, Director of Human Resources at the Federal Ministry of Health Dafeta T. Tetshoma, and Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations at the Ministry of Labour Falonipe Amos.
The document affirmed that the Federal Government had formally communicated with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation regarding the gazetting of the scheme, which was originally approved in 2016 by the National Council on Establishments in Minna, Niger State.
According to the agreement, the Director of Nursing at the Ministry of Health and the NANNM Secretary General will follow up with the Head of Service and the Federal Government Printer to ensure the process is completed within four weeks.
Other key resolutions included:
- Implementation of a National Industrial Court judgment directing the establishment of a Department of Nursing at the Federal Ministry of Health. The matter is to be referred to the Ministry of Justice for interpretation and enforcement.
- Plans to address professional allowances including:
- 30% consolidated shift duty allowance,
- 20% annual specialist allowance,
- Uniform allowance reviewed to ₦300,000 per annum,
- 4% consolidated call duty allowance,
- 35% teaching allowance,
- Burnout and retention allowances to mitigate brain drain.
The Ministry of Health is expected to engage health professional unions in separate discussions within two weeks to finalise these proposals.
On the contentious issue of internship placements, the Federal Government agreed to direct the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to implement a centralised internship system, similar to those already in place for other health professions. The process is to take into account state-level needs, to avoid the overconcentration of postings in Abuja and Lagos.
The government also assured NANNM of fair representation on the boards of tertiary health institutions, and pledged to constitute the governing board of the NMCN as soon as possible.
Prof. Pate, speaking during the meeting, revealed that the ministry had granted waivers for the recruitment of over 14,000 health workers in 2024 — 60% of whom are nurses — and that the waiver process for 2025 is already underway.
The resolution marks a major step toward improving nurses’ welfare and averting further industrial action in the health sector.
