Nurses in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, launched a strike Wednesday over wages and working conditions, their union announced. The walkout is the latest blow to Abuja’s fragile healthcare system amid a sweeping cost-of-living crisis gripping the country.
Negotiations between the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and the government collapsed, prompting a seven-day warning strike. Tashikalma Halls, media adviser to Nigeria’s health minister, said the government planned to meet nurses Wednesday evening but gave no details.
A union spokesperson confirmed the strike but neither confirmed nor denied the scheduled meeting with officials. Hospitals in Abuja were reported severely affected, with delayed care and strained services after nurses abandoned their posts.
Earlier this year, strikes by health clinic workers and teachers also rocked the capital, driven by slow wage hikes from local councils. President Bola Tinubu raised the minimum wage from 30,000 to 70,000 naira ($20 to $45) monthly to cushion economic reforms.
Despite praise from the International Monetary Fund, Tinubu’s policies have sharply increased the cost of living for many Nigerians. As the country wrestles with economic hardship, the healthcare system struggles under the weight of labor unrest and funding shortfalls.
The nurses’ strike casts a harsh light on the widening gap between government reforms and the everyday realities facing public workers. With patients left waiting and hospitals crippled, Abuja’s health crisis deepens, stirring urgent calls for swift, fair solutions.