The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Friday, November 1, 2025, over the Federal Government’s failure to meet its long-standing demands.
NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, confirmed the decision in a statement issued on Sunday, saying it followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier given to the government.
According to Suleiman, the decision was reached after a five-hour emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, where members unanimously voted to embark on a total, comprehensive, and indefinite industrial action.
“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” Suleiman said in the statement.
He added that the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been directed to ensure full compliance across all centres, while state and hospital branches are to hold emergency congress meetings to brief members on the strike modalities.
Suleiman also accused unnamed government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, warning that the association would “collectively resist” such actions.
“We have reported to NEC, and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to the letter and in full compliance,” he said.
The NARD president urged members to use the remaining days before the strike to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public on the reasons behind their action.
The strike is expected to paralyze medical services nationwide, as resident doctors make up the bulk of clinical staff in federal and state hospitals.
NARD’s grievances include:
- Non-payment of arrears from the 25% and 35% salary adjustments under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
- Unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
- Failure to pay promotion arrears to medical officers in federal tertiary hospitals.
- Delay in implementing the 2024 accoutrement allowance.
- Exclusion from specialist allowance, despite their crucial role in specialist-level care.
- Exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, affecting their pay and career progression.
- Downgrading of new resident doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, resulting in pay cuts and unpaid arrears.
- Bureaucratic delays in updating salary scales after postgraduate medical examinations.
NARD had issued its one-month ultimatum on September 26, demanding urgent government intervention on these issues. With no resolution reached, the association says it has no choice but to proceed with the strike.
If the strike goes ahead, it will be the fourth major industrial action by resident doctors in the past five years, underscoring ongoing tensions between the medical union and the government over welfare, funding, and working conditions in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
