Olushola Omogbehin
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has ended its nationwide strike that kept public health services grounded for 84 days.
Leaders of the union made this decision on Friday after a long emergency meeting of the national executive council (NEC) in Abuja where they assess the outcome of Thursday’s conciliation meeting with the federal government at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Accusing the federal government of repeatedly failing to implement the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and neglecting long-standing welfare and systemic concerns in the health sector, JOHESU embarked on indefinite strike on November 15, 2025.
After the meeting, the union issued a statement where it suspended the strike to give room for the execution of the agreements reached with the government.
“After exhaustive deliberations, the expanded NEC unanimously voted to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike and allow for the implementation of the FG–JOHESU terms of settlement,” the statement stated.
Appreciating Nigerians for their patience and also acknowledging the hardship caused by the shutdown of health services, the union said the breakdown of trust and persistent injustice forced the strike.
The union leaders disclosed that negotiations increased in January, with review meetings held on January 15 and 22 with officials of the Federal Ministry of Health where both sides exchanged proposals aimed at ending the strike.
But victory came on February 5, 2026, when an emergency conciliation meeting took place in line with a 14-day ultimatum issued by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
In the agreement, federal government is committed to capturing funding for the CONHESS adjustment in the 2026 Appropriation Act. There was also agreement to withdraw the “no work, no pay” directive and immediately pay January 2026 salaries owed to JOHESU members.
