Resident Doctors Suspend Planned Strike After Talks With FG

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its planned strike after reaching an understanding with the Federal Government on several of its key demands, including the payment of outstanding allowances and improvements in doctors’ welfare.

The decision followed an emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC), where members reviewed commitments made by government representatives and agreed to allow further dialogue.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the association said, “The NEC, in recognition of the ongoing high-level interventions and as a demonstration of goodwill, hereby suspends the previously declared Total, Indefinite, and Comprehensive Strike action.”

NARD explained that the suspension was based on progress recorded during negotiations, especially government commitments regarding salary arrears, hazard allowances, and issues linked to the Medical Residency Training Fund.

Although the association said the dispute had not been fully resolved, it acknowledged that the Federal Government had shown “renewed willingness” to address the concerns that led to the strike threat.

The association, however, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to take concrete steps toward meeting its outstanding demands.

“The NEC grants the Federal Government a two (2)-week ultimatum within which concrete, measurable, and verifiable steps must be taken to address all outstanding demands of the Association,” the communiqué stated.

Resident Doctors Issue Two-Week Ultimatum

NARD also restated its key demands, including the immediate reversal of the suspension of the reviewed Professional Allowance Table (PAT), payment of all outstanding promotion and salary arrears owed to resident doctors, prompt completion and disbursement of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and full payment of the outstanding 19 months’ arrears of professional allowance.

“The NEC reiterates its demands as follows: Immediate reversal of the decision to halt the implementation of the reviewed Professional Allowance Table (PAT); Immediate payment of all outstanding promotion arrears and salary arrears owed to resident doctors in affected institutions; Prompt conclusion and disbursement of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF); Immediate processing and full payment of the outstanding nineteen (19) months’ arrears of the Professional Allowance.”

The association further warned that it would reconvene immediately after the expiration of the ultimatum to assess the government’s level of compliance.

“The NEC shall reconvene immediately upon expiration of the ultimatum to review the level of compliance and determine further appropriate actions in the best interest of its members. In the event of failure by the Federal Government to meet these demands within the stipulated timeframe, the NEC shall not hesitate to resume the suspended Total, Indefinite, and Comprehensive Strike action without further notice.”

Resident doctors in Nigeria have repeatedly had disagreements with the Federal Government over welfare-related issues, including delayed salaries, inadequate hazard allowances, and poor working conditions in public hospitals.

These recurring disputes have also been linked to the growing brain drain in the health sector, as many Nigerian doctors continue to leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.