The proposed Health Sector Executive Bills 2026, which are presently before the National Assembly, have prompted health sector unions, organized by the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, to declare plans to hold a nationwide demonstration in Abuja.
Healthcare professionals from all over the nation are anticipated to attend the protest, which is set for today, Thursday, March 26, at the National Assembly Complex. Participants will gather at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja.
JOHESU instructed its affiliate unions and professional associations to mobilize members in large numbers in an official communication that our correspondent was able to obtain on Thursday morning. The communication warned that the proposed legislation could have significant effects on healthcare professionals and the industry as a whole.
Martin Egbanubi, National Secretary of JOHESU, who signed the notice, spoke about the planned protest and stated that it was essential to raise public awareness of the possible consequences of the measures.
According to Egbanubi, “our members must educate the general 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, describing the planned action as a crucial time for healthcare professionals.
He said, “Your involvement in this historic existential struggle is highly solicited and essential.”
The organization claims that health workers are worried that the legislation, which have already passed the Senate’s first reading, will change the industry’s current structures, professional positions, and welfare circumstances.
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 in Nigeria’s health sector.
The group has regularly challenged the Federal Government on matters including pay scales, hazard allowances, and the perceived hegemony of some professional associations in sector-related policy choices.
Millions of Nigerians are impacted by ongoing tensions in the country’s healthcare system, which frequently show up as strikes and service interruptions. Concerns over welfare, professional recognition, funding disparities, and health institution governance are frequently the source of disputes.
Nigeria’s health sector is already struggling due to a lack of workers, brain drain, and poor facilities, which is why the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026 have emerged. The system has been further undermined by the large number of healthcare professionals who have continued to relocate overseas in quest of better working conditions.
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