JOHESU ‘No Work, No Pay’: Federal Government Orders Payment of January Salaries to Non-Striking Nurses
Abuja, 5 February 2026 — The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the immediate release of January 2026 salaries to nurses in federal tertiary health institutions who continued working during the ongoing Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) strike.
In an official letter sent to the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) office, the ministry described the earlier withholding of salaries as an “inadvertent administrative error” and instructed that payments be processed without delay.
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How the Salary Withholding Occurred
JOHESU declared an indefinite nationwide strike on 14 November 2025 after a warning strike expired. The industrial action, now in its third month, centres on demands for:
- upward review of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS)
- payment of long-standing salary arrears
- review of specialist, call duty and clinical duty allowances
- improved working conditions and career progression
In response, the Federal Government activated its “No Work, No Pay” policy from January 2026 for staff participating in the strike. Salary stoppages were applied through the IPPIS platform.
Nurses employed in federal tertiary hospitals are remunerated under the same CONHESS salary table as many JOHESU members. Although the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in federal tertiary institutions did not join the strike having formally withdrawn from JOHESU in 2023 many of these nurses were included in the salary withholding.
The situation was worsened by delays in some federal hospitals in submitting lists of staff who remained on duty, as previously requested by the ministry.
Ministry’s Directive and Reasoning
The letter, referenced DHSRAPS/11229/32 and issued earlier this week, stresses that nurses in Federal Tertiary Health Institutions (FTHIs) under NANNM:
- did not participate in the JOHESU industrial action
- continued to discharge their professional responsibilities throughout the dispute
- should not have been subjected to the salary stoppage
The ministry described the non-payment as having caused “undue economic hardship” to workers who had remained committed to patient care. It has therefore instructed the Accountant General and IPPIS to immediately rectify the payroll records and release the January salaries.
NANNM leadership has confirmed that sustained engagement with relevant federal authorities is continuing and that the payment reconciliation process has already started.
Broader Context
The JOHESU dispute has exposed long-standing structural challenges in Nigeria’s public health sector payroll and labour relations systems. The shared use of CONHESS across multiple professional groups has highlighted the difficulty of applying selective sanctions during industrial actions without robust, real-time payroll segmentation.
Health sector analysts note that the episode also underscores the need for clearer delineation of union representation and more agile administrative processes to protect essential workers who choose to maintain services during disputes.
The government has repeatedly stated that the “No Work, No Pay” policy remains in force for staff actively participating in the strike, while emphasising its willingness to continue negotiations on the substantive CONHESS and welfare issues.
What Happens Next
Affected nurses are expected to begin receiving their January salaries in the coming days once IPPIS completes the directed updates.
The broader JOHESU strike remains unresolved. Both sides have indicated that talks are continuing, though no breakthrough has been publicly announced.
Fellow Nurses Africa will continue to monitor payment confirmations and developments in the wider health sector negotiations.
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