Nurses across Nigeria say they are exhausted, underpaid, and forced to work in crumbling hospitals without even basic equipment. Many warn the country’s healthcare system is near collapse and that without urgent intervention, more lives will be lost.
“We’re not enough to do all this work. The nurses are few, and we’re overworked,” said Nurse Nyam Ann, a Chief Nursing Officer at Nyanya General Hospital in an interview with Fairview Africa. “There’s staff shortage, no equipment. Even drugs to stop bleeding after delivery are not there. We’ve complained, but nothing changes.”
Her voice reflects a wider frustration among Nigeria’s health workers who say the system has failed them. Despite a 2001 commitment under the Abuja Declaration, which urged African Union member states to allocate at least 15 percent of national budgets to health, Nigeria allocated just ₦2.48 trillion roughly 5.18 percent of the 2025 budget to the sector.
The consequences are visible in overstretched hospitals, where one nurse may be left to care for dozens of patients without equipment. In Fairview Africa’s interviews, multiple nurses described working without blood pressure monitors, oxygen tanks, nasal prongs, and essential post-delivery drugs.
In July 2025, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) threatened industrial action after nurses were excluded from a federal allowance review that benefitted doctors alone despite nurses making up over 60 percent of the health workforce.
“We, the nurses, are being marginalised,” said Nurse Nyam. “Transport and feeding are a struggle. Allowances are not paid. Even the minimum wage the government promised hasn’t been implemented.”
Residents are speaking out as well. Mr Benjamin Uche, a resident of Abuja who spoke with Fairview Africa, said: “If nurses are complaining, something is really wrong. The government must work with them to fix this system. If someone dies because they weren’t treated, that’s on the government.”
BusinessDay Nigeria reported that Public health analysts have long warned about the worsening brain drain. Between 2022 and 2025, more than 42,000 nurses and midwives left Nigeria for jobs abroad. The top destinations include the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia countries offering better wages, safer working conditions, and professional recognition.
This exodus is deepening existing staff shortages. Nigeria now has one doctor per 10,000 people, according to the Nigerian Medical Association, far below the World Health Organization’s recommendation of one doctor per 600 people. According to a 2025 report by the Nigerian Medical Association and WHO Health Workforce Report, the nurse-to-patient ratio is even worse, especially in public hospitals.
In Abuja hospitals, nurses say basic equipment is either broken, unavailable, or shared between entire wards. “We don’t have enough to work with,” said Nurse Nyam. “BP machines are scarce. Oxygen is not always available. The stress is too much.”
Healthcare experts warn that without serious reform, the country may fail to meet its target of Universal Health Coverage by 2030. Nigeria has not only underfunded its system but also failed to retain the professionals needed to run it.
Opinions of Nurses gathered by Fairview Africa show that while nurses continue to show up for duty, their patience is wearing thin.
“We’re trying our best,” said Nurse Nyam. “But there’s only so much we can take. If nothing changes, the whole system will collapse.”
