The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced a five-day warning strike, despite assurances by the Federal Government that the action could be averted.
The strike, which began at 8 a.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025, is expected to last until Tuesday, September 16. It follows the expiration of a 24-hour ultimatum given to the federal government to address long-standing demands, after an earlier 10-day deadline lapsed without resolution.
Resident doctors are medical school graduates training as specialists, and they dominate Nigeria’s emergency wards, making their role critical in healthcare delivery nationwide.
In a message titled “Declaration of Strike Action” signed by the association’s secretary-general, Dr Oluwasola Odunbaku, NARD confirmed that the strike was in full force.
“As clearly stated in our earlier communique, the strike is scheduled to commence at 8:00 am today. All centre leaderships are expected to guide their members accordingly,” Dr Odunbaku said.
Our correspondent collected from NARD’s September 1 communique, signed by its President, Dr Osundara, alongside Odunbaku and the group’s publicity secretary, Dr Omoha Amobi, that the doctors’ demands include:
- Immediate payment of the outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
- Settlement of five months’ arrears from the 25–35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review.
- Clearance of the backlog of salaries and allowances.
- Payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears.
- Prompt disbursement of specialist allowances.
- Restoration of recognition for the West African postgraduate membership certificates.
The association also demanded that the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria issue membership certificates to all qualified candidates, while calling for the implementation of the 2024 CONMESS, resolution of welfare issues in Kaduna State, and urgent attention to the plight of resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Isaq Salako, had earlier expressed optimism that the government was in talks with NARD to avert the strike.
“The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but I believe with the level of conversation ongoing, we are making progress,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Salako admitted that the major sticking point was the residency training allowance, revealing that the government was yet to settle about 40 per cent of the 2025 payments.
“It is my hope, and that is what we are working on, that the matter will be resolved before the ultimatum expires,” he added.