Nurses and teachers under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest in Abuja over poor welfare conditions, non-payment of allowances, and the non-implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
The protest, which began at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters—popularly known as Labour House—saw the workers march to the office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Area 11, Garki, where they submitted a letter outlining their demands.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Pay Our Salaries,” “Implement the New Minimum Wage Now,” and “Save Primary Healthcare Centres,” the protesters accused the FCT Administration and Area Council Chairmen of neglect and failure to prioritize workers’ welfare.
Speaking to journalists, Chairman of NANNM FCT Chapter, Comrade Jama Medan, said the condition of health facilities—particularly Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs)—in the territory had become critical due to a shortage of personnel and prolonged industrial action.
“We have about 270 PHCs across the FCT, but only about 120 nurses and midwives are available to attend to thousands of patients,” he said. “These centres have been shut down for over a month because healthcare workers are protesting, yet nothing has been done. Women and children are dying daily because the facilities are not functional.”
Medan further alleged that Area Council Chairmen withheld N4.1 billion reportedly released by the FCT Administration for the payment of salary arrears and allowances, claiming the funds were diverted for other uses.
He called on the FCT Minister to intervene by compelling the chairmen to release the outstanding entitlements, implement the new minimum wage, and address infrastructural and staffing challenges in the health sector.
Meanwhile, Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, expressed concern over what he described as the insensitivity of some Area Council Chairmen to the plight of teachers and healthcare workers.
Reacting to the protest by members of the NUT and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Wike said he had already approved funds for the councils to pay their workers but was surprised to learn that some chairmen had failed to act on the directive.
“I approved money to be sent to them so they could pay the teachers. I got a report just yesterday that they’ve failed to do that. I have now summoned all of them,” the minister said.
The protest is the latest in a growing wave of industrial actions across the country, as workers continue to demand improved conditions of service and the implementation of the proposed new national minimum wage.
