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The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, has suspended its nationwide strike after 84 days of the industrial action.
JOHESU suspended the strike at the end of its expanded national executive council, NEC, emergency meeting held in Abuja on Friday.
The meeting was is said to have been convened to review the outcomes of the Federal Government-JOHESU conciliation meeting held on Thursday at the federal ministry of labour and employment headquarters.
According to a communique issued after the meeting, the union said the strike has been suspended to allow for the implementation of the FG-JOHESU Terms of Settlements.
The strike was declared in November 2025.
The National President of JOHESU, Kabir Minjibir, confirmed the suspension.
The union represents health professionals in various departments, including pharmacy, laboratory services, and other essential support roles.
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This development follows a last-minute intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour on Thursday night, which reportedly paved the way for renewed discussions between the union and government officials. While details of the negotiations were not immediately disclosed, the intervention was seen as a critical step toward ending the prolonged industrial action.
The 84-day strike had effectively paralysed activities in government-owned hospitals nationwide. Pharmacies, laboratories, and other support services were largely non-functional, forcing patients to seek care in private hospitals or alternative healthcare centers.
The disruption had left thousands of Nigerians without timely access to critical medical attention.
Before the suspension, JOHESU had insisted that it’s strike action would continue until the Federal Government implemented the recommendations of a Technical Committee on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), submitted in 2021.
The prolonged strike also prompted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to issue a 14-day ultimatum in solidarity with the health workers, warning that the impasse could escalate into wider labour unrest if unresolved.
The suspension of the strike has been welcomed by patients and healthcare stakeholders alike, who hope that government and union officials will reach a lasting agreement.
Public hospitals are expected to gradually resume normal operations, alleviating the strain caused by nearly three months of halted services.
While the strike has been suspended, JOHESU has indicated that it remains vigilant and may resume action if the Federal Government fails to implement the Technical Committee’s recommendations. For now, the temporary resolution offers a reprieve for millions of Nigerians who have been affected by the industrial action.
The end of the 84-day strike marks a significant milestone in ongoing negotiations between Nigeria’s health sector workforce and the Federal Government, highlighting the critical role of dialogue in resolving industrial disputes.
On Monday, SaharaReporters reported that some Nigerians raised the alarm over what they describe as a near-total shutdown of clinical services at university teaching hospitals and other public hospitals nationwide, as the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) continues to paralyse healthcare delivery across the country.
In several states, teaching hospitals and federal medical centres reported severe service disruptions, with only skeletal operations in place.
