The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared that it will commence a nationwide strike from midnight on November 1, 2025, unless the government reinstates dismissed members, clears part of the outstanding arrears, and restores the value of membership certificates.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, said the government owes about 50,000 health workers across Nigeria over N38 billion in unpaid salaries, excluding allowances.
He revealed that the country now has barely 11,000 resident doctors, down from over 20,000 a decade ago, with most working at the federal level. Suleiman directed all resident doctors in both federal and state tertiary hospitals to withdraw their services completely until the government shows genuine commitment to addressing the association’s demands.
He expressed frustration at the government’s continued neglect of the medical workforce, noting that salary reviews for doctors have been ignored for 16 years, while arrears spanning more than a decade remain unpaid.
“You cannot find a politician owed like this, but essential workers such as health workers and teachers continue to suffer,” Suleiman said. “We’ve been dialoguing for three years, and we have arrived here.”
He also condemned the growing trend of casualising resident doctors through locum contracts, which he described as exploitative, depriving doctors of job security, benefits, and career progression.
The NARD leader demanded the immediate payment of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance, reinstatement of five doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and full settlement of their unpaid wages.
Suleiman listed key conditions for calling off the strike, including the prompt payment of salaries to house officers, the conclusion of the collective bargaining agreement within weeks, and a review of doctors’ entry-level grades in the civil service.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to personally intervene, warning against ignoring the legitimate grievances of frontline medical workers.
“We just want to return to our patients, but we can’t keep working without pay,” he said. “These are not new demands. They are agreements that must be honoured.”
