Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Healthcare professionals across Katsina State have handed the government a stark ultimatum: address long-standing salary, hazard, and allowance grievances within 21 days, or brace for a statewide industrial action that could cripple the state’s already fragile health system. The Assembly of Healthcare Professionals in Katsina State issued the warning on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after months of fruitless engagements with the Dikko Umaru Radda administration.
Speaking on behalf of the assembly at a press conference in Katsina, the state Chairman of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria, Comrade Ibrahim Balange, said the ultimatum took effect immediately. He explained that the decision followed "several engagements, meetings and representations to the state government" that failed to produce significant progress on the workers' demands. “The Assembly, comprising the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria and Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, had been patient with the government over the issues,” Balange said.
At the heart of the dispute is the demand for the immediate implementation of 100 per cent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), a framework already applicable in federal government-owned health institutions. Health workers are also pushing for the skipping of CONHESS 10, as contained in previous government circulars and correspondence submitted to relevant committees in the state. Beyond salary harmonisation, the assembly is demanding an upward review of the current 10 per cent hazard allowance to 100 per cent, to match what is obtainable in federal health institutions. Other demands include upward reviews of call-duty, shift-duty, clinical and non-clinical allowances, rural and specialist allowances, as well as an increase in the uniform allowance for nurses to N80,000, aligning with federal standards.
Balange stressed that these demands are neither unreasonable nor designed to undermine the government. “The demands were not aimed at undermining the government but were necessary to improve the welfare and motivation of health workers and ultimately strengthen healthcare delivery in Katsina State,” he said. He expressed concern that the prolonged delay in resolving the issues had eroded morale and productivity among healthcare professionals, who, despite the challenges, have remained committed to serving the residents of the state.
The assembly, known as the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals in Katsina State, serves as an umbrella body representing virtually all healthcare workers in the state, with the notable exception of medical doctors. Its membership includes the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).
The health workers' grievances are not new. For months, the unions have engaged the government through multiple channels, submitting correspondences and holding meetings with relevant committees. Yet, according to Balange, there has been "no significant progress in resolving the issues". The delay, he said, has negatively affected the morale, motivation and productivity of healthcare professionals, despite their continued commitment to providing quality healthcare services to the people of Katsina State.
Balange warned that failure by the government to meet the demands within the 21-day window would leave the health professionals with no option but to down tools. “Should the government fail to address the demands within the 21-day period, the Assembly, comprising the affected health sector unions but excluding the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), would have no option but to 'down tools',” he said. However, he appealed to the state government to use the period of the ultimatum to resolve the issues and avert a disruption of healthcare services across the state.
The timing of the ultimatum is significant. It comes at a period when health workers across Nigeria have increasingly voiced frustration over poor remuneration, inadequate hazard allowances, and unsafe working conditions. The Katsina State Government, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, has in the past made efforts to improve healthcare delivery, including the recruitment of thousands of health workers and the upgrade of primary healthcare centres. However, the current dispute suggests that significant gaps remain between government commitments and the realities on the ground.
The assembly expressed hope that the Radda administration would respond positively to the demands in the interest of healthcare workers and the people of the state. “We remain hopeful that the state government will act promptly to avoid disruption of healthcare services in the best interest of the people of Katsina State,” Balange said.
If the government fails to act, the consequences could be dire. A statewide strike by health workers would cripple healthcare delivery across Katsina, leaving hospitals and clinics understaffed and patients vulnerable. Given the state's ongoing challenges with insecurity, including banditry and attacks on health facilities, the potential collapse of health services could have catastrophic consequences for vulnerable communities.
The dispute also highlights a broader national challenge. Across Nigeria, health workers have repeatedly agitated for improved welfare, better hazard allowances, and the full implementation of salary structures already approved for federal institutions. The Katsina ultimatum is a local manifestation of a nationwide crisis that has seen doctors, nurses, and other health professionals leaving the country in droves in search of better opportunities abroad.
The 21-day clock is now ticking. The ball is in the court of the Katsina State Government. Whether Governor Radda chooses to engage meaningfully with the health workers' demands or allows the ultimatum to expire will determine whether the state's health system faces another disruption in a long line of industrial actions that have plagued Nigeria's healthcare sector. For now, the people of Katsina can only watch and hope that their leaders and their health workers find common ground before the sick are left to suffer the consequences.
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