Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Workers' Rights Campaign has thrown its weight behind the ongoing industrial action by nurses at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna State, issuing a strong demand for the immediate removal of the hospital's Medical Director and threatening a nationwide mobilisation of nurses across federal health institutions if the Federal Government fails to address the workers' grievances. In a statement issued on Monday, July 20, 2026, the labour advocacy group accused the hospital management of victimising union leaders, intimidating nurses, and refusing to honour agreements previously reached with workers, describing the situation as an "authoritarian, anti-worker regime" that must be dismantled.
The Workers' Rights Campaign, in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Frances Akinjole, and Secretary, Bàbá Ayé, backed the 15-day ultimatum issued by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions (NANNM-FHI) against the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna State, and called for a nationwide mobilisation of nurses in solidarity with their colleagues at the Kaduna psychiatric hospital. The group warned that unless the grievances are addressed within the ultimatum period, the union has resolved to embark on a three-day warning strike beginning July 29, 2026. The dispute, according to the WRC, stems from the management's "continued victimisation, intimidation and unfair treatment" of nurses, citing the suspension of the chairperson of the hospital's NANNM unit after the union official allegedly provided temporary accommodation for stranded student nurses undergoing clinical posting at the hospital using the union secretariat.
The WRC further condemned the demotion of the unit's Public Relations Officer and two other executive members from Consolidated Health Salary Structure Level 13 to Level 12, describing the action as "a straightforward case of victimisation." The group also accused the hospital's Medical Director of refusing to implement a Memorandum of Understanding brokered by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment following an earlier industrial action that reportedly lasted 108 days. "The hospital management has continued to disregard agreements reached through official mediation while targeting union leaders for persecution," the group said. The WRC also referenced concerns raised by the Elegant Nurses Forum, a platform representing rank-and-file nurses, alleging that the management relied on operatives of the State Security Service to suppress workers during the prolonged strike, describing the presence and activities of the security operatives during the dispute as coercive and favourable to management.
The workers' rights group outlined a series of demands directed at the Nigerian government and relevant authorities, including the immediate and unconditional reversal of the suspension of the NANNM unit chairperson and the reinstatement of the demoted union executives to their previous salary grade levels. It further demanded the full implementation of the earlier MoU, including the proper placement of newly recruited nurses on the CONHESS salary scale, prompt promotion of eligible nurses, and payment of outstanding uniform allowances. Beyond labour-related demands, the WRC called for an independent investigation into what it described as the management's victimisation, intimidation and alleged union-busting practices, and demanded the immediate removal of the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Dr. Aishatu Yushau Armiya'u, accusing her administration of fostering what it called an "authoritarian, anti-worker regime."
The group urged the government to constitute what it described as "an all-inclusive and democratically constituted management body" capable of promoting harmony among healthcare professionals in the institution. "The immediate removal of Dr. Aishatu Yushau Armiya'u as the Medical Director of FNPH and the constitution of an all-inclusive, democratically constituted management body, which promotes teamwork and harmony of all health professionals in the hospital," the group demanded. The WRC also appealed to the broader labour movement and civil society organisations to support the planned mobilisation of nurses nationwide, arguing that only sustained collective action would compel authorities to address what it described as persistent anti-worker practices at the Kaduna-based psychiatric hospital.
The 15-day ultimatum, which runs from July 15 to July 29, 2026, was issued by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions following a series of unresolved grievances at the hospital. The union accused the management of victimising its members, disregarding a Memorandum of Understanding reached after an earlier industrial dispute, and engaging in actions capable of disrupting industrial harmony. The union demanded the reinstatement of its suspended unit chairman, reversal of the alleged demotion of three nurses, full implementation of the MoU, and investigation into alleged anti-union practices. The dispute dates back to February 2026, when 128 nurses under NANNM staged an indefinite strike over stalled career progression and welfare concerns they said had gone unaddressed for years. In May 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health directed management to implement the "No Work, No Pay" policy, which the hospital complied with.
The Elegant Nurses Forum had earlier condemned the suspension of the Chairperson of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, describing the action as victimisation aimed at silencing a union leader over welfare advocacy. The group rejected the hospital management's claim that the chairperson was suspended for providing temporary shelter to stranded nursing students, describing the explanation as "unreasonable and unbelievable." According to the forum, the suspension ordered by the hospital's Chief Medical Director was a retaliatory move against the union leader for championing improved welfare and working conditions for nurses.
The hospital management, for its part, had previously defended its actions, stating that the Medical Director had arranged for nurses to man critical units, including the dialysis centre serving infectious disease patients across Kaduna State and neighbouring states, to prevent a total shutdown of services. However, the workers' rights groups have maintained that the management's approach has been heavy-handed and anti-worker, with the WRC urging nurses across federal health institutions to prepare for coordinated industrial action in solidarity with their colleagues in Kaduna if the ultimatum expires without a resolution.
The escalating dispute comes at a time when Nigeria's healthcare sector is already grappling with a critical shortage of medical professionals, as many nurses and doctors continue to seek opportunities abroad. The prospect of a nationwide warning strike by nurses across federal health institutions threatens to further strain the country's already fragile healthcare system, particularly in the North-West region where the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital serves as a critical referral centre. As the July 29 deadline approaches, the Federal Government faces mounting pressure to intervene and resolve the crisis, with the Workers' Rights Campaign warning that continued impunity and anti-worker practices would only deepen the crisis in Nigeria's public health sector.
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