Resident Doctors Give FG Two Weeks to Avert Fresh Strike

•NARD cites unpaid entitlements, manpower shortages as key concerns

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given the Federal Government two weeks to resolve its outstanding demands or face another nationwide strike.

The ultimatum formed part of resolutions reached at the association’s 46th Annual General Meeting in Calabar, Cross River State, on Sunday.

NARD said several agreements reached with the government remain unresolved despite repeated meetings and assurances.

The doctors listed remuneration, career progression, professional allowances, manpower shortages and working conditions among the issues requiring urgent attention.

Presenting the resolutions, NARD National President, Dr Emmanuel Ogar, said the continued delay in implementing agreements with the government had become unacceptable.

The association urged the government to use the two-week window to settle the outstanding issues and prevent another disruption to healthcare services.

NARD also called for an immediate review and implementation of existing salary and remuneration structures for doctors.

It argued that current pay no longer reflects prevailing economic conditions and the demands placed on medical personnel.

The association further demanded compensation for doctors who carry additional workloads because of staff shortages.

It called for standardised templates to determine such payments, alongside reliable data to calculate compensation for doctors working beyond their normal responsibilities.

Beyond remuneration, NARD raised concerns about attacks on healthcare workers and urged the government to fully implement measures designed to protect doctors and other medical personnel in hospitals.

The association also linked the worsening manpower crisis to the continued migration of Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals.

According to NARD, the departure of medical workers has increased the workload for doctors who remain in the country and placed further pressure on the health system.

It therefore urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to address the factors driving medical migration.

State governments, it added, should improve the welfare of doctors employed by their institutions and implement relevant policies for healthcare workers.

NARD also demanded better hospital infrastructure, adequate medical equipment and improved working conditions to strengthen patient safety and healthcare delivery.

The association called on the National Assembly to increase budgetary allocations to the health sector to tackle infrastructure and manpower challenges.

The latest ultimatum follows a series of disputes between the doctors and the Federal Government over salaries, allowances, residency training funds and other welfare issues.

In April 2026, NARD suspended a planned indefinite strike after receiving fresh commitments from the government on outstanding allowances, salary arrears and funding for medical residency training.

The suspension followed an emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council and renewed negotiations with government officials.

NARD had said the decision was based on assurances that the government would make progress on its outstanding demands.

Earlier in January, the National Industrial Court in Abuja restrained the resident doctors from embarking on a nationwide strike scheduled to begin on January 12.

The Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation had approached the court amid disagreements over the implementation of agreements reached during previous negotiations.

The latest dispute also echoes the industrial action of November 2025, when resident doctors suspended a nationwide strike after 29 days.

The strike began on November 1 and ended after the government and NARD signed a Memorandum of Understanding addressing the association’s 19-point list of demands.

Although the agreement recorded progress on some issues, NARD said several matters, particularly outstanding arrears, remained unresolved.

With the new two-week deadline now in place, attention will shift to whether the government can resolve the outstanding issues before the doctors resort to another nationwide industrial action.