Strike: We won’t resume duties until our demands are met, NARD insists

Says association’s demands neither “new nor unreasonable”

Emeka Agu Jnr with agency reports

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced that its members will not resume duties until all their 19 demands are completely met by the Federal Government without any delay.

NARD President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that none of the issues responsible for the ongoing nationwide strike had received serious or adequate attention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that resident doctors embarked on a total, indefinite, and comprehensive strike on Nov. 1, following the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government to meet their long-standing welfare demands.

Suleiman was reacting to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, issued by Mr Alaba Balogun, announcing plans to release N11.9 billion for arrears and other doctors’ welfare packages.

According to the ministry, working with the Federal Ministry of Finance, N21.3 billion was transferred to the IPPIS account for health workers, while N11.9 billion and N10.6 billion were also allocated for payments.

The ministry further explained that the government was addressing workforce shortages by employing more healthcare professionals and engaging with unions, including NARD, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

However, Suleiman said the association was unaware of any N11.9 billion release, adding that the entire health sector, not only resident doctors, was receiving 25/35 per cent arrears payments.

He added that based on the ministry’s progress report, “one or two out of 19 is a very poor performance score,” insisting resident doctors would remain on strike until every demand was fulfilled.

NARD in a statement also said its demands are neither “new nor unreasonable” but reflect the minimum requirements needed to sustain a functional and effective healthcare system nationwide.

The association’s statement was signed on Monday in Abuja by its President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, Secretary-General Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity and Social Secretary Dr Abdulmajid Ibrahim.

The statement clarified the association’s position on doctors’ welfare and its ongoing industrial action.

NARD responded to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recent statement on efforts to improve doctors’ welfare, emphasising that government assurances did not reflect the reality experienced across hospitals nationwide.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that resident doctors began a Total, Indefinite, and Comprehensive (TIC) strike on Nov. 1.

This followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unmet welfare and payment demands.

While acknowledging the ministry’s reassurances, NARD said hospital realities contradicted official optimism, stressing that the clarification was necessary for President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to understand the true nature of doctors’ grievances.

NARD’s demands include settlement of long-standing arrears, correction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) irregularities, and prompt implementation of delayed promotions and professional upgrades for resident doctors nationwide.

The association noted that while the ministry claimed more than N30 billion had been released for health worker arrears, doctors had received only a small fraction, diverting attention from their primary welfare demands.

“These arrears, including 25/35 per cent CONMESS review, accoutrement, promotion, upgrade, and salary payments, have lingered for five years without full government offset, fueling frustration among resident doctors across federal hospitals.”

Although some arrears were partially paid before the strike, NARD said many doctors had not received full payments, emphasising that the partial action fell short of meeting their legitimate financial entitlements.

On recruitment, NARD expressed concern that reported mass employment of health workers lacked verifiable evidence, while the number of resident doctors had declined sharply due to poor pay and unsafe work conditions.

It said Nigeria’s active resident doctors dropped from 15,000–16,000 a decade ago to barely 9,000–10,000 today, in spite of a rising disease burden, driving the exodus of medical professionals abroad for better opportunities.

NARD acknowledged recent disbursement from the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) but stressed it was a statutory entitlement, not a favour, and must be promptly paid with adjustments for inflation and economic realities.

The association criticised delayed reinstatement of dismissed doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, calling it insensitive amid a national shortage of skilled medical professionals and worsening patient care.

It urged government correction of certificate re-categorisation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which had demoralised doctors and undermined their professional achievements and career progression.

NARD demanded that resident doctors providing specialist-level services received the specialist allowance and called for a review of the professional allowance table to align with the minimum wage and inflation trends.

The association also decried unpaid salaries, non-implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, and widespread casualisation of doctors across federal hospitals, stressing the need for systemic reform in personnel management.

“Issues of salary relativity and excessive work hours without compensation must be resolved to ensure genuine industrial harmony, safeguard healthcare workers’ dignity, and improve patient care quality across all federal institutions.”

Beyond financial concerns, NARD emphasised that the struggle was about doctors’ dignity, safety, and the survival of both healthcare workers and the patients they served under challenging conditions.

It said doctors continued to work in poor, unsafe conditions, often without recognition or support, highlighting the urgent need for government action to prevent further decline of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

NARD reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and willingness to resume work once verifiable actions, not mere promises, were taken to address welfare, arrears, and structural issues in the healthcare system.

The association appealed to Nigerians for understanding, stressing that the strike targeted systemic failures, not the public, aiming to save the nation’s collapsing healthcare system and protect both medical staff and patients.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the demands of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The Chairman of NMA in Kwara, Prof. AbdulRahman Afolabi, made the appeal in a statement issued after an emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting of the association,  in Ilorin on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that resident doctors commenced an indefinite strike on Nov. 1, which has severely disrupted activities in hospitals across the country.

Afolabi affirmed that the association stood firmly with NARD, urging the government to act swiftly to resolve the lingering issues.

“The NMA, Kwara Branch, expresses profound concern over the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike embarked upon by NARD, which has significantly disrupted healthcare delivery across Nigeria.

“We stand in unwavering solidarity with our colleagues in NARD, whose decision to embark on this industrial action arises from years of unmet commitments, unfulfilled promises, and disregard for the welfare and professional dignity of Nigerian doctors,” he said.

The NMA chairman described NARD’s demands as just, reasonable, and consistent with the association’s long-standing advocacy for a reformed, adequately funded, and sustainable healthcare system in Nigeria.

According to him, the demands reflect both immediate welfare concerns and long-term structural reforms critical to sustaining the nation’s medical workforce.

Afolabi listed NARD’s key demands to include the implementation of the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and prompt payment of all arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent upward adjustment.

He added that other demands included the immediate release and disbursement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to all eligible resident doctors, as well as the settlement of unpaid accoutrement, hazard, and specialist allowances, including arrears of consequential salary adjustments.

“These demands are not excessive; they are rooted in equity, fairness, and the pursuit of a functional health system.

“No nation can achieve effective healthcare delivery without first safeguarding the dignity and well-being of its doctors.

“We call on the Federal Government to honour its commitments, restore industrial harmony, and prioritise the health workforce as the backbone of Nigeria’s healthcare system,” Afolabi said.