Healthcare services in Katsina State could be disrupted from next week as the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (AHAPN) has announced a seven-day warning strike over unresolved welfare and professional demands.
The industrial action is scheduled to commence at 12:00 midnight on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the Katsina State Government.
The healthcare professionals said they reached the decision after what they described as the Government’s failure to demonstrate sufficient commitment towards resolving their long-standing demands.
The development could affect services in public hospitals and other Government-owned healthcare facilities across the State, with the unions warning that the seven-day warning action could be followed by an indefinite strike if their grievances remain unresolved.
AHAPN Chairman in Katsina State, Comrade Ibrahim Balange, announced the decision in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 1.
According to him, the warning strike became necessary after several years of discussions, meetings and representations failed to produce what the workers considered meaningful progress.
Balange said the healthcare professionals had repeatedly engaged the State Government on their demands and had remained patient in the hope that the issues would be addressed through dialogue.
He, however, alleged that despite the Government’s awareness of the concerns raised by the workers, there had been no concrete action capable of resolving the dispute.
The latest warning comes less than a month after the Assembly issued a 21-day ultimatum to the State Government.
AHAPN had announced the ultimatum on August 11, 2026, during a press briefing at the State Secretariat of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Katsina.
At the time, Balange warned that healthcare workers would be forced to embark on industrial action if the Government failed to address their demands within the stipulated period.
The Assembly’s demands centre largely on salaries, allowances, career progression and other conditions of service.
One of the major demands is the immediate implementation of 100 per cent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for healthcare professionals in the State, in line with what obtains in federal health institutions.
The workers are also seeking the implementation of the skipping of CONHESS 10, which they said should be effected in accordance with existing Government circulars and related correspondence.
Another major issue is the hazard allowance.
The healthcare professionals are demanding an upward review of the existing 10 per cent hazard allowance to bring it in line with the standard applicable in federal health institutions. The demand for improved hazard pay is particularly significant because healthcare workers routinely operate in environments involving occupational risks.
Other allowances listed among their demands include call-duty, shift-duty, clinical, non-clinical, rural and specialist allowances.
The unions are also asking for an increase in the uniform allowance for nurses to ₦80,000, citing the amount as being consistent with what is obtainable in federal health institutions.
The healthcare professionals have maintained that the demands are not simply about financial benefits but are connected to staff motivation, welfare and the overall quality of healthcare delivery in Katsina State.
They argue that improved working conditions could help boost morale among healthcare workers and create a better environment for the delivery of services to patients.
The latest notice indicates that the unions have now moved from issuing an ultimatum to taking concrete steps towards industrial action.
The warning strike involves members of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN). Earlier reports on the August ultimatum also identified the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria among the groups participating in the broader assembly.
Balange said the seven-day warning action would be followed by an indefinite strike if the State Government fails to resolve the outstanding issues before the end of the warning period.
The union leader appealed to residents of Katsina State to understand the position of the healthcare workers and blamed the Government for any inconvenience that may arise from the action.
He said the workers had exhausted available peaceful and amicable avenues for resolving the dispute and had been left with little choice but to proceed with industrial action.
The proposed strike could have significant implications for residents who depend on Government healthcare facilities, particularly patients requiring regular treatment, laboratory services, nursing care and other services provided by members of the affected unions.
However, medical doctors are not expected to participate in the action because they are not members of AHAPN.
The exclusion of doctors means some medical services may continue in affected facilities, but the absence of nurses, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and other categories of healthcare professionals could still substantially affect hospital operations.
The dispute also comes against the backdrop of ongoing healthcare reforms by the Katsina State Government.
Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s administration has recently highlighted investments in healthcare financing, medical supplies and primary healthcare services. In August, the State Government announced mandatory health insurance enrolment for Government employment programmes, while the number of beneficiaries under the Katsina State Health Insurance Scheme was reported to have risen significantly since 2023.
The contrast between the Government’s reported healthcare reforms and the workers’ complaints over welfare and conditions of service could place additional pressure on both sides to return to negotiations.
For now, the September 8 deadline remains the key date for residents and healthcare institutions across the State.
Unless an agreement is reached before then, members of the affected healthcare unions are expected to withdraw their services for seven days.
If the Government fails to resolve the issues during that period, the unions have warned that the dispute could escalate into an indefinite strike, potentially creating a wider disruption of healthcare services across Katsina State.