NEWS
Gov. Otti Ends 12-Year Wait as Abia Implements CONHESS for Local Government Health Workers, Records Surge in Healthcare Utilisation
…as Abia Becomes First State in the South-East to successfully implement the CONHESS structure for Local Government Health workers
The Abia State Government has commenced the implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for Local Government Health workers, with the payment of their February salaries marking the official take-off of the long-anticipated reform.
The development represents a significant milestone in the state’s health sector, as it brings to a close a 12-year struggle by health workers who had long agitated for salary alignment and improved welfare. The initiative, approved by Governor Alex Otti, is aimed at boosting morale, enhancing productivity, and strengthening the overall healthcare delivery system across the state.
With the implementation, Local Government Health workers in Abia are now placed on the same salary structure as their counterparts at the State and Federal levels, effectively addressing longstanding disparities and reinforcing equity within the sector.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, made this known on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council Meeting presided over by the Governor. He described the move as a bold and strategic intervention that positions Abia as a pacesetter in the South-East region.
He further highlighted that Abia has now become the first state in the South-East to successfully implement the CONHESS structure for Local Government Health workers, underscoring the administration’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of healthcare professionals.
According to him, the policy is not only a welfare-driven initiative but also a deliberate strategy to retain skilled professionals within the state’s health sector, curbing the persistent challenge of workforce migration.
“This is part of the ongoing reforms in the health sector of the State. This is part of the ongoing reforms in the health sector of the State.
“Abia State happens to be the first State in the Southeast region of the country that achieved this milestone.
“It is meant to retain our best hands in the health sector of the State,” Prince Kanu stated.
Beyond salary reforms, the Commissioner pointed to the growing impact of the state’s digital health transformation agenda. He noted that the ongoing e-health programme being deployed across Primary Healthcare Centres is already yielding measurable results, improving efficiency, access, and service delivery.
Kanu also revealed a remarkable increase in the utilisation of government-owned health facilities, attributing the surge to renewed public confidence driven by the administration’s reforms.
“The hospital utilisation in Abia State under this administration has improved tremendously by five times between 2023 and 2025. In terms of figures, this has improved from 214,407 in 2023 to 1,533,764 in 2025.
“This means that more adults have confidence to use the State’s Health facilities in 2025 than was the case in 2023,” he added.
The implementation of CONHESS, alongside digital health initiatives and improved service delivery, signals a broader transformation within Abia’s healthcare system, one that is steadily repositioning the state as a model for sustainable health s
ector reforms in Nigeria.