Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has warned of an imminent fresh industrial confrontation with the Federal Government over its failure to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment and other outstanding agreements reached with health workers.
The warning came from the President of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Comrade (Dr.) Kabiru Ado Sani, who accused the government of frustrating the implementation of the Terms of Settlement (ToS) that led to the suspension of JOHESU’s 84-day nationwide strike on February 5, 2026.
Sani, who spoke on Wednesday at the 52nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of MHWUN in Abuja, said the Federal Government had failed to honour its commitment to implement the CONHESS adjustment in April 2026, as agreed with the unions.
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He expressed concern that despite the prolonged industrial action and the sacrifices made by health workers, the government had continued to delay the implementation of the agreement, warning that the patience of members was fast running out.
“Regrettably, the Federal Government seems not to have learnt any lesson from the last strike action as it has continued to drag and delay the matter against the spirit of the Terms of Settlement.
“The April 2026 date that was promised for implementation has passed without the CONHESS adjustment,” he said.
The MHWUN president further disclosed that JOHESU had continued to demand the payment of all outstanding arrears owed to its members, including those working in non-hospital-based health institutions and agencies, as well as the inauguration of governing boards of federal health institutions.
He warned that the government’s continued failure to honour agreements reached with organised labour could undermine industrial peace and further compound the challenges confronting the country’s already strained healthcare system.
“Government should understand that nothing is more expensive than a signed agreement that is not honoured, as it costs the State its credibility and it costs the patient quality care,” he stated.
Sani said JOHESU had demonstrated considerable restraint and willingness to engage the government despite the delays, but warned that the union’s peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for an inability to defend its members’ interests.
“JOHESU has shown greater understanding, but it seems that our peaceful disposition is being taken for granted,” he added.
He stressed that the 84-day strike, which was suspended on February 5 following the signing of the Terms of Settlement, had not been called off or abandoned, insisting that the responsibility for preventing another round of industrial action rested squarely on the relevant government officials.
“While we remain open and continue to engage government, it is important to note that the last strike was suspended, not called off or abandoned.
“The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and the Honourable Minister of Labour to prevent another round of industrial action that is imminent in the health sector, as the patience of our members has been stretched beyond limit,” he said.
The union leader, however, disclosed that JOHESU was awaiting further directives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), which had reportedly promised to take over the demands.
Beyond the unresolved CONHESS adjustment, Sani expressed concern over the broader challenges confronting healthcare delivery in Nigeria, particularly inadequate funding, poor welfare of health professionals and the increasing migration of skilled personnel.
He cited figures attributed to the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, indicating that although more than 130,000 doctors were registered with the Medical and Dental Council, only about 55,000 were practising in Nigeria.
He also said more than 57,000 Nigerian nurses had left the country within five years, describing the development as a consequence of chronic underfunding, poor welfare, and unsafe working conditions.
According to him, the continued departure of healthcare professionals was not a betrayal of the country but a rational response to a system that had failed to provide decent working conditions and adequate incentives for its workforce.
Sani consequently called on the Federal Government to prioritise healthcare financing and workers’ welfare, insisting that no country could achieve sustainable development without a functional health system.
He also criticised the government’s allocation of ₦2.48 trillion to the health sector in the 2026 national budget, describing it as less than five per cent of the total budget and significantly below Nigeria’s 15 per cent commitment under the Abuja Declaration.
On the broader economic situation, the MHWUN president backed the NLC’s demand for renegotiation of the national minimum wage, arguing that the decline in headline inflation had yet to translate into improved living conditions for ordinary workers.
He maintained that rising prices of food, transportation, housing and energy continued to erode workers’ purchasing power, calling for substantial palliatives to cushion the effects of the prevailing economic hardship.
He said the union would continue to engage the government but would not abandon its responsibility to defend the welfare, dignity and rights of healthcare workers.
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