The Traffic

🩺 "Stethoscopes Down Until Justice Rings!" – Nigerian Nurses Lay Down Terms to End Strike

Nigerian nurses have taken a bold stance — scrubs folded, tools down, and voices up! Under the banner of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), they’ve declared: “We’re not coming back until the government gets serious.”

Leading the charge, NANNM’s Bassey delivered a no-nonsense prescription for resolution. She listed their demands with the precision of a seasoned professional — and they're not asking for the moon, just the basics they’ve been promised for years.

Among their non-negotiables:

✅ Gazette the 2016 nursing scheme of service — It’s approved, now publish it officially!

✅ Create a full Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health — not just a desk in the corner.

✅ Centralize nursing internships — streamline the chaos for fresh graduates.

✅ Appoint nurses to health boards — if they carry the system, they deserve a seat at the table.

✅ Fix the allowance mess and hire more hands — hospitals are stretched thin, and nurses are burning out.

Strike monitors have fanned out nationwide like health detectives, making sure no nurse sneaks back into work. And if they do? Bassey warns, “National sanctions await.”

She didn't ignore the patients either — acknowledging their pain and pleading for understanding. But she had a message for them too: “If you value us, raise your voice for us.”

The bottom line? The nurses are ready to heal — but first, the government must stop delaying and start delivering.

🔔 The ball’s in your court, Abuja. Will you respond with empathy or bureaucracy?

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna