JOHESU’s Strike Bites as Public Hospitals Remain Grounded

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Healthcare services at government-owned hospitals nationwide have continued to witness major disruptions for almost two months due to an indefinite strike embarked upon by health workers to demand for better welfare packages.

Virtually all government-owned hospitals in Abuja had been adversely affected by the industrial action by the health workers under the auspices Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

The workers had been on an indefinite nationwide strike for 53 days, literally shutting down the affected hospitals.

But Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare stated that most of the demands of the workers had been addressed, with a few ones undergoing serious consideration.

The ministry stated, “Despite recent disruptions by a small segment of health workers, notably resident doctors, the overwhelming majority of Nigeria’s capable health workforce have continued to report for duty, serving our people with dedication, care, and innovation.”

JOHESU is an umbrella body representing major health sector unions, such as Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions,

While declaring the indefinite nationwide strike on November 14, 2025, the union’s National Chairman, Kabiru Minjibir, said the federal government was delaying the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding it reached with the union on the health workers’ pay package.

Minjibir said the withholding of the immediate adjustment and implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) was the core issue behind the strike.

He explained that the initial delays in resolving the dispute were due to the absence of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS), which had not yet been reconstituted then.

However, JOHESU’s President said even after the re-establishment of the committee, the matter remained neglected.

He accused the government of neglecting what he described as “one of the longest and most protracted demands in Nigeria’s labour history”.

Following a unanimous resolution during JOHESU’s expanded National Executive Council hybrid meeting held on November 14, 2025, the union directed all affiliate unions across the federal health service sector to commence an indefinite strike to ensure that CONHESS is implemented.

It further urged state chapters across the 36 states and the FCT to also issue their respective state governments a 15-day notice of strike.

“Nothing has been done by successive administrations to redress this infraction. Despite the well-advertised assurances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when a two-man delegation of JOHESU visited him on June 5, 2023, to advance the FG’s resolve to get JOHESU to suspend its strike, this demand remains unattended to,” the statement added.

However, the federal government dismissed the strike by the health workers as unwarranted.

While assessing the impact of government’s interventions so far, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Pate said a significant number of the workers’ demands had been addressed.

Pate said, “We acknowledge that successive governments did not always provide the enabling environment for our best talents to thrive. Longstanding commitments were poorly implemented, leading to dissatisfaction among health workers, particularly members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

“While not all legacy challenges have been conclusively resolved, through the conduct of transparent negotiations, the retirement age for clinically skilled health workers has been increased from 60 to 65 years. Outstanding arrears from 2023 to date have been paid, while the new hazard allowance is being processed.

“Over ₦10 billion owed under the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund has been fully paid.

“Salary relativity adjustments under CONHESS for health workers and CONMESS for doctors are being assured and institutionalized by the federal government;”

Pate said despite recent disruptions by a small segment of health workers, notably resident doctors, the overwhelming majority of Nigeria’s capable health workforce had continued to report for duty, serving the people with dedication, care, and innovation.