Nigerian health workers call off 84-day strike following talks with government
Nigeria’s Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide strike, 84 days after industrial action shut down services in government-owned hospitals across the country.
The decision was announced in a communiqué issued on Friday after an expanded emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
JOHESU said the meeting reviewed the outcome of a conciliation session held on Thursday between union leaders and representatives of the federal government at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“After exhaustive deliberations and review of the terms of settlement reached at the conciliation meeting, the expanded NEC-in-session voted unanimously to suspend the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike action to allow for the implementation of the agreed terms,” the communiqué said.
The statement was jointly signed by the union’s chair, Kabiru Minjibir, and its secretary, Martin Adekunle.
The union appealed to patients and the wider public for understanding, saying the strike was the result of persistent grievances and a breakdown of trust between health workers and the authorities.
“A recurring infliction of injustice and a huge trust deficit necessitated this unfortunate and avoidable strike,” the statement said, adding that it hoped federal and state governments would act “with sensitivity and responsibility” to prevent a repeat of the crisis.
The strike, which entered its 84th day on Friday, paralysed activities in public hospitals nationwide, forcing many patients to turn to private facilities or go without care altogether. Nigeria’s public health system, already under strain from staff shortages and underfunding, was severely affected.
JOHESU represents several categories of health workers other than doctors, including nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and hospital administrators. The dispute centred on the non-implementation of an adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure, a key pay framework for public-sector health workers.
The union expressed gratitude to individuals and institutions involved in resolving the standoff, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, parliamentary health committees, hospital chief executives and professional bodies. It also acknowledged the role of traditional leaders, singling out the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
JOHESU further thanked Nigeria’s two main labour federations, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government in solidarity with the striking workers.
The industrial action began in November 2025, when JOHESU announced an indefinite strike after what it said were repeated failures by the government to honour earlier agreements. At the time, Minjibir warned that the action would disrupt medical services and academic activities in health institutions nationwide.