Posted on: Wed 12-03-2025

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, has said one of the key focuses of the Tinubu-led administration is to achieve industrial harmony in the health sector devoid of strikes and lockouts.

 

He also said a key agenda of government was to attract greater funding and investment into the country’s health sector.

 

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in Abuja, yesterday, Salako said industrial actions in the health sector are unnecessary because of their negative consequences.

 

According to him, the essence of going on strikes are to win public sympathy, adding that any union that goes on strike without the support of the public would realise they are unnecessary.  

 

“I want to let you know that we are open to discussion and our agenda is to witness no strike in the health sector during the tenure of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

 

“I hope that the nurses and their association will work with us to achieve this agenda,” he said.

 

He said the ministry was hoping to hold a national dialogue aimed at forging unity among the various professional associations within the health sector.

 

Salako also appealed to the nurses and midwives to bear with the government on the inadequacies, adding that the government has in one way or the other invested in their training.

 

He said they should resist the urge to leave the country as a mark of patriotism.

 

The minister assured that the government was determined not to allow human resources in health to deteriorate.

 

Apart from seeking the understanding and support of the union, the Minister said he was there to discuss with them some of the things that the federal government was doing to address the challenges of human resources in the health sector.

 

Responding to some of the issues raised by NANNM, Salako said most of them have either been addressed or are in the progress of being resolved.

 

Earlier, the president of NANNM, Haruna Mamman demanded inclusion of members of the nursing midwifery professions in policy making in the health sector.

 

Mamman, also listed other demands to include gazetting of the Nurses Scheme of Service as approved by the National Council on Establishments in 2016, Minna, Niger State; creation of the department of nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health, upward review of peculiar professionals’ allowances for nurses and midwives and recruitment of more nurses and midwives.

 

By: Onyebuchi Ezigbo

This Days News

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