Healthcare Services Disrupted In Lagos As JOHESU Extends Strike, Accuse Sanwo-Olu Of Empty Promises
✍️ By Teju/ February 11, 2026/ 8:54am
Patients seeking care in public hospitals across Lagos State have been left stranded and frustrated after health workers extended an indefinite strike due to what they describe as unfulfilled promises by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), which represents non-physician and non-nursing healthcare professionals in government-run facilities, declared that they would sustain the ongoing industrial action after negotiations with the state government failed to yield “concrete and time-bound commitments” on longstanding demands.
According to JOHESU officials, the union first joined a national strike on December 2, 2025, after prolonged discussions with state authorities failed to deliver meaningful results. In a recent briefing, the Chairman of JOHESU, Adelaja Gbadamosi, accused the Lagos State Government of injustice and blamed “powerful interests” for blocking reforms that would improve equity, remuneration, and professional recognition for health workers.
At the centre of the dispute are issues including the recognition and appropriate pay of consultant pharmacists, creation of autonomous medical laboratory departments, provision of staff transportation, implementation of revised call-duty and shift allowances, and extension of retention allowances to all healthcare professionals. JOHESU has criticised the selective payment of retention allowances to only some cadres, calling it discriminatory and harmful to the morale of staff.
With the strike now in its next phase, public hospitals from Ikeja to Badagry, Epe to Ikorodu, are experiencing significant service disruptions. Many patients have been forced to turn to costly private facilities, postpone treatments, or travel outside the state in hopes of finding care.
The union has reaffirmed its readiness to return to negotiations if the Lagos State Government demonstrates a genuine commitment to resolving the dispute and implements previously agreed resolutions without further delay. Meanwhile, residents continue to bear the brunt of the standoff, highlighting the fragile state of healthcare delivery in Africa’s most populous city.
