Nigeria's Healthcare Crisis Deepens as FCT Nurses Threaten Strike
FCT nurses threaten to join resident doctors' strike over 13 months of unpaid hazard allowances and critical staffing shortages, risking complete shutdown of capital's healthcare system.
Nigerian nurses protest unpaid allowances and deteriorating healthcare infrastructure at FCT hospital
FCT Nurses Issue 15-Day Strike Warning Over Unpaid Allowances
In a critical development that threatens to paralyze healthcare delivery in Nigeria's capital, the FCT chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses And Midwives (NANNAM) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to authorities over unpaid hazard allowances spanning 13 months.
This latest crisis comes amid ongoing systemic challenges facing Nigeria's public institutions, with healthcare workers bearing the brunt of administrative negligence.
Critical Staffing Shortages Expose System Failures
The situation mirrors broader institutional crises affecting vital public services across Nigeria. NANNAM Secretary Comrade Nanman Philmon Kash revealed shocking statistics: the FCT requires over 5,000 additional nurses to meet WHO standards, with current ratios showing one nurse handling 30 patients instead of the recommended four.
Infrastructure Decay and Worker Welfare
The deteriorating state of healthcare infrastructure, reminiscent of systemic failures in other public sectors, includes dilapidated nurses' call rooms and critical facilities. Key demands include:
- Immediate payment of 13 months' hazard allowance arrears
- Reinstatement of rural and teaching hospital allowances
- Resolution of pension deduction irregularities
- Infrastructure renovation across FCT hospitals
Timeline for Action
The ultimatum begins September 18, 2025, at 12am and expires October 2, 2025. Without intervention, all FCT nurses will join resident doctors in an indefinite strike, potentially shutting down healthcare services across the capital territory.
"Our nurses are falling sick more often these days. There is a need for urgent recruitment to keep up with the increasing and growing population of the FCT," stated Kash.
Tunde Okoro
Nigerian journalist with a Pan-African voice. Covers politics, sovereignty, and social justice across West Africa.