The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to concluding the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, in the health sector, stressing that the ongoing job evaluation exercise is critical to achieving a fair, evidence-based and sustainable remuneration structure for health professionals.
The commitment was reiterated at a meeting of the government team involved in the ongoing Health Sector CBA negotiations, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, alongside the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Annah Daniels, Dingyadi said the decision to prioritise job evaluation was aimed at providing an objective basis for determining the relative worth, responsibilities, skills, qualifications and working conditions associated with various health professions and cadres in the public service.
The minister explained that the exercise was particularly important in view of differing positions and historical agreements involving various health professional groups, which had contributed to longstanding issues surrounding relativity, parity and salary structures within the sector.
Dingyadi said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was undertaking the job evaluation exercise to establish appropriate placement for health professionals and cadres.
He said the outcome was expected to provide a credible basis for subsequent discussions on salary adjustments and other outstanding issues under the CBA.
According to him, the government considers it necessary to allow the technical process to run its course rather than take decisions that could create fresh disparities or further complicate industrial relations in the health sector.
He stressed that the job evaluation should not be interpreted as a postponement or abandonment of collective bargaining, but as a strategic step to strengthen the bargaining process with objective data and ensure that eventual agreements are equitable, transparent and sustainable.
The Health Sector Collective Bargaining Committee was formally inaugurated in August 2025 to provide a structured platform for engagement with the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA; Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU; National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM; and other stakeholders.
Dingyadi said the negotiations cover remuneration, working conditions, professional development and welfare, adding that the government remains committed to addressing the concerns of health workers through constructive dialogue and collective bargaining.
Those at the meeting included the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation; Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; representatives of the Ministers of Finance and Justice; representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
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(Editor: Ada Ononye)
