The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called for an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting to reassess its 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare and policy issues affecting its members.
According to a notice obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, the virtual meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, and will involve the association’s National Officers’ Committee, Caucus Leaders, Centre Presidents, and General Secretaries.
The notice, signed by NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, stated that the sole agenda of the meeting is to “review the ultimatum and evaluate the government’s response to the association’s pending demands,” adding that members’ “presence and participation are crucial in addressing the matter at hand.”
The outcome of Saturday’s session is expected to determine whether resident doctors will proceed with another round of industrial action.
NARD had, on September 26, given the Federal Government a 30-day deadline to address several outstanding issues, including unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, and delayed promotions.
The association lamented that doctors across the country continue to work excessive and unregulated hours, posing serious risks to their health and patient safety. It also criticised the government’s failure to pay the 25% and 35% arrears from the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which were supposed to be cleared by August 2025.
NARD described the dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, as unjust, especially amid widespread burnout and the continued migration of health workers abroad.
Other grievances include the non-payment of promotion arrears, 2024 accoutrement allowance, and delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after completing postgraduate examinations — delays that have resulted in accumulated salary arrears.
The association further protested the exclusion of resident doctors from the specialist allowance, the downgrading of new recruits from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, and the exclusion of house officers from the civil service scheme — a policy that has deprived them of proper pay and recognition.
NARD also decried the slow progress in finalising the collective bargaining agreement with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), noting that the CONMESS salary structure has not been reviewed in over 16 years.
The doctors condemned the persistent salary shortfalls caused by non-release of corrected professional allowances, the casualisation of medical workers, and the downgrading of membership certificates issued by the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
They also faulted the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria for failing to issue membership certificates to qualified graduates and criticised the non-implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, which they said has deepened the workload crisis in hospitals.
NARD warned that the continued neglect of these issues was fueling the escalating brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector, leaving hospitals overwhelmed and poorly equipped.
The association equally opposed the creation of consultant cadres for non-medical doctors and the non-implementation of special pension benefits agreed upon in the July 26, 2025 Memorandum of Understanding with the NMA, describing these as further threats to the welfare and professionalism of medical practitioners.
