Nationwide Health Strike Begins as Government Talks Fail
Healthcare services across Nigeria's public hospitals face complete paralysis after the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) declared an indefinite nationwide strike. The industrial action commenced at midnight on November 14, 2025, following the collapse of negotiations with the Federal Government.
Why Health Workers Are Downing Tools
Addressing journalists in Abuja, JOHESU National Chairman Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibri stated that the strike became unavoidable due to the government's persistent failure to implement long-standing agreements. The central issue remains the non-implementation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which has been pending for over a decade.
The unions highlighted the injustice where the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors was adjusted in 2014, while the corresponding CONHESS review for other health professionals has remained neglected. This violates the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement that established both salary structures.
Failed Negotiations and Government Inaction
Despite President Bola Tinubu's personal intervention in June 2023 that temporarily suspended a previous strike, the Federal Government failed to address the outstanding issues. The unions noted that even after the reconstitution of the Presidential Committee on Salaries, their concerns only received attention in "the last 48 hours" before the strike declaration.
The core dispute involves the implementation of the High-Level Body Committee's report on the revised CONHESS, which was submitted to the Presidential Committee on Salaries in 2022 but never acted upon.
Scope and Impact of the Industrial Action
The indefinite strike affects workers across JOHESU's four affiliate unions:
- Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria (MHWUN)
- Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)
- Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI)
- Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU)
Invoking Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act, JOHESU has directed all members in Federal health institutions to withdraw their services indefinitely. The 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have been advised to serve their respective governments 15-day strike notices.
While expressing sympathy for Nigerians who will be affected, JOHESU maintained that the situation resulted from prolonged government inaction. The union warned against any victimization of its members, emphasizing that this constitutes a legitimate labor dispute.
