Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
The Kaduna State College of Nursing Sciences has been thrown into paralysis as academic and non-academic staff began a three-day warning strike on Monday, crippling activities across its three campuses in Kaduna, Kafanchan, and Pambegua.
Lectures and administrative operations have ground to a halt, leaving hundreds of students stranded and raising fears of major disruptions in the training of future healthcare professionals.
In a statement signed by union chairman, Dr. Daniel Danboyi, the Joint Unions of the College accused management of frustrating staff career progression and neglecting welfare despite repeated appeals.
“We have resolved to down tools for three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, as a warning strike to press home our demand for the promotion of qualified staff whose cases have been pending for three years,” the statement read.
The unions warned that if grievances remain unresolved by the end of the warning strike, they may escalate to an indefinite industrial action, a move that could severely disrupt the academic calendar and deepen the strain on Kaduna’s healthcare training system.
Reports from the institution indicate total shutdown, with classrooms, laboratories, and offices deserted. Students who showed up for lectures were met with locked gates, heightening uncertainty and tension.
The Kaduna dispute adds to a wider national crisis in Nigeria’s health sector. In July, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government over unresolved concerns around compensation, benefits, and working conditions. Similarly, Lagos State doctors under the Medical Guild recently staged a 72-hour warning strike to protest salary cuts.
Health experts warn the recurring unrest underscores systemic neglect in valuing healthcare workers. Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Baba of Damaturu Specialist Hospital stressed that poor remuneration and stalled promotions are driving medical brain drain. He noted that medical students and trainees, like those at Kaduna Nursing College, already play crucial roles in supporting overstretched staff and filling care gaps across the system.
With Nigeria already battling a shortage of health professionals, prolonged strikes in training institutions risk worsening service delivery, particularly in rural areas heavily dependent on their graduates.