….as members have been adamant on incomplete demands for 11 years
According to BusinessDay findings, January 15, 2026, was the 62nd day of the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), one of the longest nationwide strikes in a decade.
A similar long-term strike by the association took place in 2014, between 16 November 2014 and 2 February 2015. BusinessDay's findings showed that other strikes lasted between 3 and 44 days.
Despite the memorandum signed on January 8, 2026 by the Federal Government to enforce 'no work, no pay' policy against members of JOHESU and the Assembly of Health Care Professionals, members of the association have insisted on continuing with the strike.
Following an emergency virtual meeting of the union's national leadership held on Monday, January 12, 2026, according to a memorandum signed by the secretary of the association, Martins Egbanubi, the majority of JOHESU's affiliated unions voted to sustain the strike, rejecting what it described as attempts to intimidate workers.
“The strike continues in line with the majority decisions as reflected in the Congress reports received so far at the National Secretariat,” Egbanubi said in the memorandum.
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“'No work, no pay' policy is a common tool used to intimidate workers,” he said.
President of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy and member of JOHESU, Felix Odusanya, during an interview with this reporter, reiterated the decades-long demands by the Federal Government as the reason for the prolonged strike action.
“Despite the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the association, since 2014 – almost 11 years later – JOHESU’s salary structure has not been reviewed,” Odusanya said.
“Apart from food, many of us cannot even pay house rent or children's school fees with the current salary structure,” he said.
JOHESU's demands include approval and circularization of upward review of CONHESS salary structure, payment of outstanding dues arising from CONHESS, employment of additional personnel to strengthen the health sector, issuance of circulars effecting review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years and full implementation of judgments of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in favor of JOHESU members.
Winners, losers of consecutive attacks
According to sources, the main loss due to these continuous strikes is being caused to the patients, taxpayers and the economy of the country.
“Patients bear the brunt of these strikes as many have to be referred to other private hospitals, which are usually more expensive,” said a source.
Taxpayers also suffer as they do not get the value of their taxes paid as a result of the strike. By extension, the economy also suffers, and medical tourism continues.
On the other hand, the affluent as well as those who can afford treatment outside the country are not affected by the strike.
“Johesu are the backbone of the health workforce. They are laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, psychiatrists and many others,” said Stephanie Omoarebun, secretary of the Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum.
