The Ministry urged JOHESU to suspend the industrial action in the interest of public health and national stability, rejecting claims by organised labour that it had deliberately failed to implement the 2021 report of the Technical Committee on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The intervention follows a 14-day ultimatum issued by the TUC and NLC, effective from 23 January 2026, demanding the immediate implementation of the long-awaited CONHESS adjustment. The labour centres warned that failure to comply would trigger a nationwide, coordinated industrial action involving workers across both public and private sectors.
In a joint statement, TUC Secretary General, Comrade NA Toro, and Acting NLC General Secretary, Comrade Benson Upah, accused the Ministry and relevant government agencies of persistent refusal to act on the Technical Committee’s report submitted in 2021. They described the delay as a deliberate act of injustice and institutional disrespect to health workers, vowing mass protests, picketing of health facilities and government offices, and a nationwide withdrawal of services if their demands are not met within the stipulated timeframe.
Responding in Abuja, the Ministry said the allegations were unfounded, noting that the Federal Government has held several conciliatory meetings with JOHESU since the strike began, both at the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. These engagements, it said, were aimed at de-escalating tensions and achieving an amicable resolution, even as the matter was before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, the Ministry disclosed that a high-level conciliatory meeting held on 15 January 2026 marked a significant step in ongoing efforts to address the dispute. He explained that the demand for CONHESS adjustment has persisted for over a decade, with successive administrations unable to fully resolve the issue.
Balogun noted that JOHESU members had recently benefited from increases in professional allowances, amounting to about ₦58 billion in arrears from July 2024 and approximately ₦40 billion annually. He added that during the 15 January meeting, the Ministry and JOHESU reached a tentative understanding on a framework for resolving the dispute, including discussions around the 2021 Technical Sub-Committee report under the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
According to the Ministry, JOHESU also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the “No Work, No Pay” circular, a position earlier canvassed by the TUC. In response, the government appealed for the maintenance of the status quo to allow the NSIWC to conclude an ongoing job evaluation exercise, which began in November 2025 and is expected to last six months. The outcome, the Ministry said, would guide future salary adjustments and the reconvening of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Ministry explained that its decision to await the conclusion of the job evaluation was informed by conflicting positions among unions and professional associations in the health sector, arising from previous memoranda of understanding and agreements with the Federal Government.
Addressing the “No Work, No Pay” policy, Balogun said the Ministry’s position is that if JOHESU calls off the strike in good faith, the matter would be handled administratively in its entirety.
He further stressed that the Ministry has no objection to the continued involvement of the NLC and TUC in the dialogue process, affirming its willingness to accommodate the labour centres in all subsequent engagements to demonstrate its commitment to industrial harmony.
Balogun added that beyond the 15 January meeting, additional engagements were held on 20 and 22 January 2026 to conclude outstanding issues, with the aim of facilitating the suspension of the strike.
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reiterates its unwavering commitment to sustaining industrial peace in the health sector,” the statement said, adding that the Federal Government remains determined to reach a fair, inclusive and lasting resolution that protects healthcare delivery, promotes equity across professional cadres and safeguards the overall interest of the Nigerian public.