The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning on Saturday, 15 November 2025. The unions say the action became necessary due to the federal government’s continued failure to implement the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and address other long-standing welfare issues affecting health workers.
The declaration was made in a statement signed by JOHESU’s national chairman, Kabiru Minjibri, on Friday.
Earlier in the month, JOHESU had issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, insisting on the immediate implementation of the adjusted CONHESS and the resolution of various unresolved welfare concerns. They warned that if these demands were not met, they would have no choice but to embark on industrial action.
This ultimatum came after previous strikes were suspended in June 2023 and October 2024 following presidential intervention and agreements reached with the government.
JOHESU is made up of several key unions, including the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAN), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
Why They’re Going on Strike
According to JOHESU, the major trigger for the strike is the delay in implementing the High-Level Body Committee’s report on CONHESS, which was submitted to the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages in 2022.
The unions said they have been pushing for this adjustment since 2014, noting that doctors had already received a similar adjustment under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in what they describe as a violation of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
They also accused several ministries and government agencies of dragging their feet on the matter, especially due to slow action and poor prioritisation by the Presidential Committee on Salaries.
The decision to embark on the strike followed a unanimous resolution at JOHESU’s Expanded National Executive Council meeting held on 14 November 2025. In line with labour laws, JOHESU has directed its state chapters to issue 15-day strike notices to their respective state governments.
Impact on Health Services
The strike is expected to affect federal teaching hospitals, specialist centres, and state-owned hospitals. This comes at a time when the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors is already on an indefinite strike over unpaid hazard allowances, poor working conditions, and unmet welfare promises.
“We empathise with Nigerians who depend on health services, but this situation is beyond our control due to the government’s failure to act,” the unions said.
JOHESU also instructed its members across the country to fully comply with the strike directive. It warned that any form of intimidation or victimisation by government officials or employers would not be tolerated. The national secretariat assured workers that they would receive full support throughout the duration of the strike.
