Federal Budget Cuts Leave 1,500 Health Workers Unpaid, Spark Nationwide Concern…Over 1,500 health workers across Nigeria have been left unpaid for months following sweeping budget cuts implemented by the Federal Government, triggering widespread concern over the welfare of frontline healthcare providers and the stability of the country’s health system.
The affected workers—comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs)—are employed under several federal initiatives, including the Expanded Midwives Service Scheme overseen by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Since January 2024, the NPHCDA has reportedly been unable to fulfill salary obligations to hundreds of its employees, many of whom are deployed in rural and underserved communities.
These delays have left health workers financially strained and emotionally exhausted, with some still awaiting full or even partial compensation for services rendered over the past six months.
While the agency’s Communications Adviser, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, previously offered reassurances that the situation was temporary and would be resolved promptly, those affected say the promised payments have not materialized.
Many of the affected health workers have written a formal petition to both the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, and the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, pleading for swift action to rectify the situation.
The petition highlights the mounting pressures they face, including difficulty affording transportation to their places of assignment, inability to pay rent, and increasing debts just to cover basic living expenses.
They argue that their dedication to improving public health, especially in marginalized areas, has been met with neglect.
In interviews, some of the unpaid personnel described skipping meals and borrowing money to survive while continuing to report for duty at primary healthcare centers.
A midwife stationed in a northern state revealed she had not received any salary since her deployment in early January, forcing her to depend entirely on relatives for support.
Another health worker noted that the lack of income had pushed many of his colleagues to abandon their posts, a trend that could severely weaken Nigeria’s rural healthcare infrastructure.
The crisis extends beyond the NPHCDA. At least 13 health-related agencies under the Federal Ministry of Health have reported similar salary payment challenges.
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These include regulatory bodies like the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, and several federal hospitals. Many of their employees have gone months without receiving wages or allowances.
The budget cuts, intended to streamline government expenditure, have instead disrupted essential services and demoralized workers critical to the country’s health sector.
As frustration grows, so too does the exodus of Nigerian health professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.
Chief Medical Directors of several teaching hospitals have raised alarm over the steady loss of skilled workers.
At the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, for example, officials confirmed that they returned over N1 billion in unspent personnel funds to the government following the resignation of large numbers of staff who migrated overseas.
The hospital, like many others, is struggling to replace the departing professionals.
In an attempt to ease the situation, the federal government has announced plans to absorb over 28,000 health workers previously funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), following a freeze in U.S. support.
Minister Ali Pate has stated that the government remains committed to strengthening the health sector and has called for renewed confidence in its ability to manage resources internally.
However, skepticism remains high among health workers who say past promises have not been kept.
The consequences of prolonged non-payment go beyond the personal hardship of health workers.
Delays in salary payments have ripple effects on the delivery of critical healthcare services, especially in rural areas where the availability of trained personnel is already thin.
With morale low and trust eroding, many are calling for immediate government intervention to restore regular wage disbursement and stabilize the health workforce before the system faces deeper damage.
