The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike beginning November 1, 2025, following the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government.
NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, who disclosed this with newsmen, explained that the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) reached the decision after assessing the government’s response to their demands during an emergency virtual meeting.
According to Suleiman, the strike notice would be officially issued within 24 hours, as directed by the NEC.
“The NEC of NARD has declared a total and indefinite strike starting November 1, 2025. All 19 of our listed demands are the minimum we can accept and there’s no going back. The strike notice will be released later today or tomorrow,” he stated.
The planned industrial action is expected to significantly disrupt operations in public hospitals nationwide, as resident doctors form the backbone of clinical services.
NARD had, on September 26, given the Federal Government a one-month ultimatum to address several unresolved issues concerning the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers.
Among the key grievances are poor working conditions, including excessive and unregulated work hours that compromise both doctors’ well-being and patient safety.
The association also condemned the non-payment of the outstanding 25% and 35% upward review arrears of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which should have been settled by August 2025, despite multiple engagements with the government.
Additionally, NARD decried the dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, describing the move as unfair, especially amid widespread burnout and the ongoing exodus of medical professionals abroad.
Other issues raised include, non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in federal tertiary hospitals, failure to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance, despite repeated assurances, bureaucratic delays in upgrading doctors’ ranks after postgraduate examinations, leading to unpaid arrears, exclusion of resident doctors from the specialist allowance, despite their critical clinical roles.
Others are, exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, which has denied them full benefits and timely salaries and downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, resulting in salary reductions and arrears.
With negotiations stalled and demands unmet, the association has vowed to press ahead with the strike, signaling another potential nationwide disruption in healthcare delivery.
