By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Resident doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), said they have suffered stagnant salaries for 16 years despite increased workloads, worsening staff shortages and dilapidation of facilities in the health sector.
They also stated that the Federal Government owes doctors and other health workers across the country an estimated N38 billion in accumulated allowances.
NARD’s president, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, disclosed this on Monday, October 27, in Abuja while presenting the resolutions of the Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting ahead of the planned nationwide indefinite strike, from Saturday, November 1,.
Dr Suleiman said the strike became necessary following the expiration of NARD’s 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over outstanding allowances and other demands of the association, which are not limited to resident doctors but affect all cadres of health professionals, including administrative personnel.
He disclosed that resident doctors had already begun ward rounds and patient-handover ahead of the planned nationwide strike.
“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) hereby declares a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike commencing at 12 midnight on Saturday, 1st November 2025.
“All resident doctors in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide are directed to withdraw their services completely and indefinitely until the Federal Government and affected state governments demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing our demands,” he said.
Dr Suleiman noted that the association had presented its 19-point demands to the government, which it described as minimum expectations required to prevent the total and indefinite strike by its members.
“There are allowances of over two years, there’s 18 months, there’s seven months, there’s four months, there’s eight months. There’s an allowance error that is over 10 years old. There’s a failure to review even the basic salary of doctors in this country for 16 years.
“For instance, in the outstanding 25-35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, there is the accoutrement allowance for all doctors in the health sector. For all the health care workers, I think the outstanding owed is about N35-38 billion. If it’s just resident doctors, we’re just talking about maybe N400m. But for all doctors in Nigeria, it could be N600 million to N800 million,” he said.
The president added that the NEC of NARD observed that the Federal Government has failed to settle multiple outstanding arrears from the CONMESS review and accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances.
He noted that after extensive deliberations, “the NEC demands the immediate payment of outstanding 25-35 per cent CONMESS arrears and other pending financial entitlements owed to our members. The NEC strongly urges the Federal Government to, without further delay, pay the outstanding arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance due to doctors.
“The NEC demands the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the five resident doctors unjustly terminated from Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, with full payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances for the period of their unlawful disengagement.
“The NEC demands that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare immediately constitute a Task Force to develop and implement a clear and humane ‘working-hours policy’ for doctors practising in Nigeria in line with international best practices to safeguard both physician wellbeing and patient safety.
“The NEC demands that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, grant Chief Executives of hospitals more efficient means of employing doctors and replace those who exit the system.
“This can be done through the immediate implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy to reduce excessive workload and burnout among our members.
“The NEC demands an urgent upgrade and maintenance of infrastructure and medical equipment in all healthcare facilities nationwide to ensure effective service delivery and improve the training environment for resident doctors. The NEC demands the immediate commencement of specialist allowance payments to all doctors, in recognition of their pivotal role in delivering specialist medical care across healthcare institutions nationwide.
“The NEC demands that the Federal Government should ensure examination and regulatory bodies immediately cease the re-categorisation of membership certificates and restore all previously classified certificates to their proper status. Furthermore, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) should commence prompt issuance of certificates post Part 1 examination.”
