ABUJA — Nigeria’s healthcare sector is teetering on the edge of a total collapse as Organized Labour, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), issued a final 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement long-overdue salary adjustments or face a nationwide industrial action.
The ultimatum, which formally commenced on Friday, January 23, 2026, serves as a definitive warning to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant agencies. The unions are demanding the immediate and full implementation of the 2021 Technical Committee report regarding the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS). Labour leaders have warned that the failure of the government to act by the expiration of this window will result in a coordinated withdrawal of services across all public health institutions in the federation.
In a joint communiqué, the NLC and TUC expressed profound frustration over what they characterized as “deliberate bureaucratic sabotage” and “selective justice” by the government. The unions pointed out that while medical doctors under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) have seen their pay scales adjusted, other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists have been left to grapple with stagnant wages despite the soaring cost of living and hyperinflation currently ravaging the economy.
The labor centers emphasized that the health workers have exercised “unprecedented patience” since the technical report was submitted nearly five years ago. They argued that the continued delay in implementing the consolidated salary adjustment is not only a breach of previous agreements but also a primary driver of the “Japa” syndrome, which has seen thousands of health professionals emigrate for better opportunities abroad.
This final ultimatum comes at a critical time for the nation’s healthcare system, which has been under severe strain following the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) that began in late 2025. Despite several rounds of negotiations with the Federal Ministry of Health, Organized Labour maintains that the government’s responses have lacked the “sincerity and urgency” required to avert a national crisis.
As of Sunday, January 25, 2026, all affiliates of the NLC and TUC have been directed to begin nationwide mobilization in preparation for the potential shutdown. The unions have vowed that if the demands are not met by February 6, 2026, they will initiate a series of protests and picketing exercises that will effectively paralyze the operations of all federal and state-owned health facilities. The Federal Ministry of Health has yet to issue a formal rebuttal to the ultimatum, though sources within the ministry suggest that a high-level emergency meeting is being planned to engage the labor leaders before the deadline.
