The Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF) has emerged as a formidable force in defence of nurses in Nigeria. It has boldly and consistently been a voice challenging the oppression of nurses collectively, or drawing the attention of the world to the violation of the rights of nurses as workers, three-quarters of whom are women.
ENF has also crusaded against patriarchy, fighting for gender equality. The Forum has exposed sexual harassment of nurses, including those working in the military, as is the ongoing case of Ex-Corporal Matilda Anighoro, who has levelled serious allegations against General S.O. Okoigi, which the Nigerian Army is sweeping under the rug.
The struggle of ENF has not been limited to the cause of nurses and nursing students. It has drawn public attention to unethical practices in the health sector, and the impact of these on poor working-class people.
The Forum has been unrelenting in demanding governments’ and private sector employers accountability in the health sector, including the need for adequate funding and democratic governance of healthcare delivery to ensure health for all.
These struggles have been waged despite the barrage of attacks that the ENF and, particularly so, its National Coordinator, Nurse Olamide Thomas, have faced. She was sacked from her job at the Ogun State College of Health Technology Ilese, in 2023 for exposing corruption in the school’s health centre, and principled stance against. She won the battle for her reinstatement by the school, which is now the Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, in court last August, only two years latter.
ENF had equally rallied around Nurse Aishat Ajibola when she was sacked by the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in 2020 for speaking in defence of nurses on Radio Nightingale. She was at the time for the treasurer of the local chapter of the nurses’ union (NANNM). Similarly, the National Industrial Court ruled against the unjust termination of her employment, reinstating her with full benefits.
The leaps and bounds of ENF show the possibilities of building strong rank-and-file workers’ networks. But this require committed activist-workers to take the lead.
Nurse Thomas gave an insight into the motivation for forming the Forum. She said:
What brought about the idea of the Forum was the need to stop workplace violence against health workers where nurses were mostly victims and the oppression of younger rank and file nurses by superior colleagues as well. We also wanted to unmask quackery because of the impact of this on the health of people and the reputation of our profession.
She further added that, with this inspiration, she and four other junior nurses at the time came together at Iwe-Irohin, the Ogun State Council secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Abeokuta. This was in 2017.
The story behind the group’s name is also interesting. Nurse Thomas said: “we were looking for a name and the Elegant Nurses Forum came to my mind because we were not only committed to struggle. We were also all looking good and elegant”.
But alas, when the storms started, three of the five founding members pulled back into safety. A fourth continues to associate with the Forum. However, only from afar. Olamide has remained unwavering because she passionately abhors injustice.
This is despite a series of challenges she has faced in providing leadership for the Forum. One of the major challenges is that of funding. Most times, especially at the earlier stages of building the ENF, she had to use her own money to travel to different states for interventions in struggles of nurses.
She also pointed out that most of the mainstream media were reluctant to publish the Forum’s statements, especially those militantly calling out the government. But with the growth of social media and the broad reach of citizen journalism outlets, such as Sahara Reporters in particular, the Forum has been able to reach a broader audience.
Three people out of the founding members we started the group together pulled out of the ENF due to fear. The remaining one person promised to support from afar with prayers. Olamide was left alone to paddle the ship of the group and leadership.
Today, according to Nurse Olamide, “the prospects of the Elegant Nurses Forum as a body fully committed to fighting for the rights of nurses are highly promising.”
She said the Forum will continue its fight as a voice for defending the rights and welfare of nurses, speaking against workplace injustice, victimisation, and poor treatment within the healthcare system. She also foresees ENF contributing to shaping health policy in the country towards improving access for working-class people to healthcare.
ENF provides an inspiring picture to rank-and-file workers in all sectors: dare to organise from below.
by Bàbá AYÉ
