The Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, which represent the health sector unions, have declared that they will hold a nationwide demonstration in Abuja in opposition to the proposed Health Sector Executive Bills 2026 that are presently being considered by the National Assembly.
Healthcare professionals from all over the nation are anticipated to attend the protest, which is set for this Thursday, March 26, at the National Assembly Complex. Participants will gather at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja.
JOHESU warned that the proposed legislation could have far-reaching effects on healthcare professionals and the industry as a whole in an official communication that our correspondent was able to obtain on Thursday morning. The communication instructed affiliate unions and professional associations to mobilize members in large numbers.
Martin Egbanubi, the National Secretary of JOHESU, who signed the notice, discussed the planned protest and stated that it was essential to raise public awareness of the possible consequences of the measures.
Egbanubi stated, “Our members must educate the public on how the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026 affect their respective professions in particular and the health sector in general.”
He urged full participation, characterizing the planned action as a crucial time for healthcare professionals.
“Your involvement in this historic existential struggle is crucial and highly requested,” he continued.
The organization claims that the legislation, which have already passed the Senate’s first reading, have alarmed healthcare professionals who worry that they will change the industry’s current welfare conditions, professional duties, and structures.
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals are two of the primary health sector unions that make up JOHESU. Historically, JOHESU has been a key player in labor issues within Nigeria’s health sector.
The group has been involved with the Federal Government on a number of topics, including pay structures, hazard allowances, and the perceived dominance of particular professional associations in sector-related policy choices.
For years, there have been tensions in Nigeria’s healthcare system, which frequently show themselves as strikes and service interruptions that impact millions of people. Concerns over welfare, professional recognition, financial deficits, and health institution governance are frequently at the center of disputes.
The Health Sector Executive Bills 2026 have emerged at a time when brain drain, a lack of workers, and poor infrastructure are already putting pressure on Nigeria’s health sector. In an effort to find better working conditions, a large number of healthcare professionals have continued to relocate overseas, severely undermining the system.
