The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide indefinite strike to allow for the implementation of the terms of settlement reached with the Federal Government.
The decision was taken during an expanded National Executive Council (NEC) emergency hybrid meeting, bringing to an end the industrial action which lasted 84 days. The strike began on November 14, 2025, over the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
In a communiqué issued on Friday in Abuja, JOHESU said the NEC unanimously resolved to suspend the strike after reviewing the outcomes of a conciliation meeting with government representatives. The communiqué was jointly signed by the union’s National Chairman, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, and National Secretary, Comrade Martin Adekunle Egbanubi.
According to the union, the suspension is to create room for the implementation of the FG-JOHESU terms of settlement, particularly issues surrounding salary adjustments and welfare of its members.
JOHESU disclosed that both parties agreed that the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations would be restructured to comprehensively address identified defects, gaps, and implementation failures in agreements reached between 2009 and 2026. It added that outstanding matters related to the adjustment of CONHESS would be incorporated into the CBA process under the exclusive auspices of JOHESU, without delay.
The union further stated that adequate budgetary provision for the implementation of the CONHESS adjustment must be captured as a key component of the 2026 Appropriation Act, in line with the existing template provided by the Technical Committee report of the high-level Federal Government body set up by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2021.
Other agreements reached include the immediate withdrawal of the “no work, no pay” directive issued in relation to the strike, as well as the prompt payment of January 2026 salaries to JOHESU members. The union also secured assurances that no member of JOHESU or the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) would be victimised, sanctioned, or intimidated for participating in the strike.
JOHESU, however, warned that failure to fully implement the agreed terms would leave the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) with no option but to deploy all lawful industrial relations mechanisms to address outstanding issues with the Federal Government.
The union expressed appreciation to Nigerians and key stakeholders who intervened during the crisis, including Senate President Godwill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo; Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magagi; and members of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Managing Directors. JOHESU also acknowledged the support of professional bodies, traditional rulers, and particularly the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, Ojaja II.
JOHESU further commended the national leadership of the NLC and TUC for their support and solidarity, as well as leaders and members of its affiliate unions—MHWUN, NUAHP, SSAUTHRIAI, and NASU—for their resilience throughout the strike.
While appreciating Nigerians for their patience during the industrial action, the union said the strike was necessitated by recurring injustice and a growing trust deficit. It expressed hope that the Federal Government and state governments would show greater sensitivity and responsibility to prevent a recurrence of such hardship in the future.
