Thousands of Nigerian nurses have concluded plans to stage a nationwide protest on June 1, 2026, over the continued withholding of professional certificates and what they described as years of neglect within the country’s healthcare sector.
The planned demonstration is linked to the failure of the Federal Government to constitute the board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, a situation organisers say has delayed the signing and issuance of certificates to nursing graduates for more than three years.
In a statement issued by Nurse Abdul-Azeez Olalekan, South-West Zonal Coordinator of the Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF), the group accused authorities of allowing qualified nurses to remain stranded without the documents required for employment and professional advancement.
According to the statement, many affected nurses have lost job opportunities both within Nigeria and abroad because the council allegedly continues to cite the absence of a governing board chairman as the reason certificates cannot be processed.
The organisers also decried what they described as worsening welfare conditions, exploitation, intimidation, and continued neglect of nurses across the country.
“Nurses have endured poor welfare, exploitation, intimidation and neglect for too long. We refuse to continue suffering in silence while those responsible for this crisis show no urgency in resolving it,” the statement said.
The group announced that nurses, student nurses, and other healthcare workers under various professional platforms had agreed to organise peaceful protests across selected states nationwide.
The organisers stressed that the protest is a constitutional right protected under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
They further urged healthcare workers, labour unions, civil society organisations, student bodies, and human rights groups to support the planned action.
Among the key demands listed by the protesters are the immediate constitution of the NMCN board, urgent issuance of certificates to all affected graduates, compensation for nurses who allegedly lost opportunities due to the delays, and improved respect for the dignity and welfare of healthcare professionals.
The organisers also warned against any attempt by security agencies to suppress the demonstration.
“Peaceful protest is not a crime,” the statement added, insisting that the June 1 protest would proceed as planned.