KATSINA. Nurses and other health workers in Katsina State began a seven-day warning strike from midnight on 14 October. They are demanding the same salaries and allowances as health workers in federal service.
Who is on strike
The Assembly of Healthcare Professionals in Katsina brings together the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP). Its chairman is Ibrahim Balange.
How the dispute got here
- 2024: the state promised to review health workers’ benefits to align them with federal service.
- March 2025: a committee made recommendations, which were not implemented.
- The state offered 10% of the pay gap. The unions rejected it. The governor then approved a 15% increment, which the unions say is only five points better.
- The unions signalled they would accept 75% of the gap. Balange said “some of our members have not even agreed to 75 per cent”.
- A strike planned for September was suspended after stakeholders intervened. A seven-day notice issued on 7 October then expired.
What next
The assembly will review the outcome after the warning strike. It says it is open to negotiation but may announce an indefinite strike if there is no agreement. Pay gaps between state and federal health workers are a major reason nurses leave state hospitals, for federal institutions or for jobs abroad.
Related: NANNM asks the FCTA to recruit 7,000 nurses
Source: Premium Times (15 October 2026).