The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has issued a directive to all Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) of federal health institutions to strictly enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy on striking members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU). The policy, which takes effect from January 2026, aims to halt salary payments for workers participating in the ongoing indefinite strike that began on November 14, 2025.
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In a circular dated January 8, 2026, signed by Dr. Abisola Adegoke, Director of Hospital Services, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister, the ministry emphasised the need to maintain essential services amid the labour action. “You are to ensure that you provide critical services like accident and emergency, labour, intensive care unit, amongst others, by all legal means including employment of locum staff,” the directive states. It also calls for the protection of non-striking staff, patients, and hospital property, urging CMDs and MDs to allow willing employees to perform their duties without hindrance and to provide regular updates on the strike’s impact.
The “No Work, No Pay” rule, a longstanding federal government policy, is being invoked to deter prolonged industrial actions in essential sectors. JOHESU, which represents a broad coalition of non-physician health workers including nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, radiographers, physiotherapists, and other allied professionals, declared the nationwide strike over the federal government’s alleged failure to implement the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), agreed upon in 2009 but revised in recent negotiations. The union’s demands also include addressing selective extensions of retirement ages in the health sector and other welfare issues.
As of today, the strike has lasted 56 days, severely disrupting operations in public hospitals across Nigeria. Reports indicate that routine services such as laboratory testing, imaging, pharmacy dispensing, and patient record management have ground to a halt in many facilities, leaving only skeletal emergency operations managed by non-striking staff or locums. Patients, particularly those reliant on affordable public healthcare, have been hit hardest, with many forced to seek expensive private alternatives or forgo treatment altogether.
The ministry’s move comes amid growing concerns over the strike’s toll on the healthcare system. In recent weeks, the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals has appealed to JOHESU and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which suspended its own strike in late November 2025 but has threatened to resume on January 12, 2026, to embrace dialogue for the sake of patient care. NARD’s potential re-entry could exacerbate the crisis, potentially leading to near-total shutdowns in tertiary hospitals.
Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), have been abuzz with frustration over the impasse. Users have highlighted the strike’s duration, with posts counting “Day 56” and calling for urgent government intervention to save Nigeria’s collapsing healthcare system. One post lamented, “Healthcare in crisis: JOHESU strike is more than wages, it’s a fight for justice, dignity, and survival.” Others criticised the government’s silence, questioning priorities in a sector already plagued by underfunding and brain drain.
To All CMDs & MDsJOHESU leaders have yet to publicly respond to the latest directive, but union representatives have previously accused the government of selective favouritism, such as extending retirement ages for certain professionals while ignoring broader demands. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, has maintained that negotiations are ongoing but stressed the need for uninterrupted essential services.
Health experts warn that prolonged disruptions could lead to increased mortality rates, especially among vulnerable populations like pregnant women, children, and patients with chronic illnesses. As the strike drags on, calls for high-level mediation intensify, with stakeholders urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritise resolving the dispute to avert a full-blown healthcare emergency.
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