The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called off its indefinite strike after 29 days.
The strike, which began on November 1, 2025, was halted following discussions at an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting conducted on Saturday.
Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Secretary-General of NARD, verified the development during a phone chat with our correspondent.
During the strike, almost 11,000 resident doctors from 91 teaching hospitals walked out in protest of terrible working conditions and unpaid allowances, substantially disrupting health services across the country.
Ibrahim added that the suspension occurred following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government, which was based on seven essential conditions established by the association.
The conditions include the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, the release of the Professional Allowance Table, the payment of promotion and salary arrears in specific hospitals, the implementation of an upgrade for doctors who passed Part I exams and met entry-level requirements, the implementation of the specialist allowance, and the resolution of the Membership Certificate issue.
He said, “The strike was suspended following the Memorandum of Understanding we signed with the Federal Government regarding the seven conditions we would consider before suspending the strike.”
According to him, two of the seven criteria have already been met, and the remaining five are expected to be met within four weeks, as per the MoU.
“The Professional Allowance Table has been released, and a directive has been given to the Head of Service that the entry level for doctors should be CONMESS 3. So, the strike has been suspended immediately,” he added.
However, Ibrahim emphasized that the association would not hesitate to resume industrial action if the Federal Government failed to achieve the remaining requests within the agreed-upon timeline.
“If the remaining demands are not met before the agreed timeline, we will resume the strike,” he warned.
