Federal Workers Forum Backs Nigerian Health Workers’ Strike, Warns Of Total National Shutdown
FWF Backs JOHESU Strike, Warns of Looming Healthcare Crisis
January 25, 2026
The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has declared its full support for the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that Nigeria is sliding toward a full-blown healthcare crisis due to what it described as the Federal Government’s “deliberate and insensitive neglect” of health workers’ welfare.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Forum also endorsed the 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government, describing the labour centres’ intervention as “long overdue.”
The statement, jointly signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the FWF and former TUC Chairman in Oyo State, and Comrade Ogundele Ayo, the Forum’s General Secretary, said the prolonged strike had exposed what it called the government’s “cruel disregard for human lives.”
According to the Forum, Nigerians are dying daily in public hospitals as a result of unresolved labour disputes, inadequate funding, and persistent policy inconsistencies within the health sector.
FWF described health workers as the backbone of any functional healthcare system, warning that continued neglect of their welfare would further weaken Nigeria’s already fragile health infrastructure.
The group said it fully aligns with the position of the NLC and TUC and called for a total and sustained nationwide shutdown if the government fails to urgently engage with JOHESU and meet the unions’ demands.
“No responsible government that truly values human lives would allow a health sector strike to persist for this long,” the Forum stated, accusing the current administration of indifference to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
The statement read in part:
“The lingering and clearly deliberate failure of the Federal Government to address the legitimate demands and welfare concerns of health sector workers is deeply painful and exposes a cruel and insensitive disposition towards the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“Every day, countless citizens lose their lives in public hospitals due to the government’s persistent neglect, policy somersaults, and silence in the face of workers’ demands. This situation is unacceptable.
“Health workers are the backbone of any functional healthcare system. When their welfare is ignored, hospitals are transformed from centres of healing into centres of avoidable deaths.
“The deplorable state of Nigeria’s public health institutions is a direct consequence of the government’s nonchalant and irresponsible attitude towards healthcare funding and workers’ welfare.”
The Forum warned that federal workers are prepared to join the strike and mass protests if the government remains unresponsive, urging the NLC and TUC to mobilise civil society organisations for broader nationwide action.
“We are fully prepared for strikes and protests,” the Forum said. “We urge the NLC and TUC to organise further solidarity actions involving civil society groups. All federal workers, except those on essential duties, should be ready for a total shutdown if the government continues to be adamant.”