Government enforces no-work-no-pay, orders hospitals to sustain emergencies
Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Federal authorities are withholding salaries of healthcare workers participating in a nationwide strike, as the government escalates efforts to end the industrial action entering its third month.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare issued a directive instructing chief medical directors of federal hospitals to enforce a “no work, no pay” policy from January 2026.
The strike, which begins on November 14, 2025, involves members of the Joint Health Sector Unions, including nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and allied health professionals.
In a circular signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Adejoke, hospital managements are ordered to keep accident and emergency units, labour wards and intensive care units running by “all lawful means”, including hiring locum staff.
The ministry stresses that workers willing to remain on duty must not face intimidation and urges hospitals to provide regular updates on how the strike affects services.
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Adakole says the policy has legal backing but warns of deeper consequences. “These professionals are essential to hospital operations. Their absence weakens care delivery, even if emergency units stay open,” he says.
Adakole cautions that reliance on emergency-only services and temporary staff cannot replace full multidisciplinary care, increasing risks to patient outcomes.
He also warns that financial pressure on striking workers may worsen morale and accelerate the migration of health professionals abroad. “While ‘no work, no pay’ may shorten strikes, lasting stability requires dialogue, trust and sustained investment,” he says.
Patients, he adds, are likely to bear the greatest burden through delayed treatments and reduced access to care.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
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Hussaini Ibrahim