The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has urged the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to call off the ongoing strike and allow negotiations to continue in the interest of the health sector and the Nigerian public.
It denied allegations by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) insinuating that the Ministry had deliberately refused to implement the report of the Technical Committee on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) submitted in 2021.
The Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health and all relevant authorities, effective from 23 January 2026, to implement without further delay the 2021 Technical Committee report on the adjustment of CONHESS, in line with established precedents in the health sector.
Reacting to the statement on Saturday in Abuja, the Ministry said that contrary to these claims, the Federal Government has, since the commencement of the industrial action, held several conciliatory meetings with JOHESU, both at the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment aimed at resolving the dispute amicably.
The statement, signed by the Director, Information & Public Relations in the Ministry, Alaba Balogun, observed that these meetings were held despite JOHESU approaching the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to intervene in the dispute.
He added that a high-level conciliatory meeting convened on Thursday, 15 January 2026, formed part of sustained efforts by the Federal Government to de-escalate tensions and arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution.
He explained that the demand by JOHESU for CONHESS adjustment has been longstanding for over a decade, with previous Federal Governments unable to resolve it.
He added that JOHESU members are beneficiaries of the recent increase in professional allowances for health workers, amounting to about 58 billion naira in arrears from July 2024 and about 40 billion annually.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
