The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to “commence an indefinite nationwide strike starting November 1, 2025.”
NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, issued a statement on Sunday revealing the strike directive was issued after the “expiration of a 30-day ultimatum” previously given to the Federal Government over several unresolved demands.
This latest action follows a “five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.” The NEC meeting concluded with a clear mandate to the leadership.
Suleiman confirmed the decision to strike followed the deadline set for the government to address their grievances. He stated:“Today, after a 5-Hour Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting, the Members of NEC have issued out new marching orders to us once again. The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday 31st October 2025 at 11:59pm.”
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The association’s statement read in part that “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 stated that the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been “mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive” and implement monitoring and enforcement measures at all centres.
He also added that “centre presidents and general secretaries have been directed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.”
He affirmed the leadership’s commitment: “We have reported to NEC and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance.”
Furthermore, he noted: “NEC has also decided that centre Presidents and General Secretaries shall go back and call Emergency Congress Meetings to brief Members on the details there-in.”
The strike, which “is expected to cripple medical services in hospitals nationwide,” stems from a one-month ultimatum NARD issued on September 26th to address long-standing welfare and training issues.
The grievances listed by the association include:
- Excessive and unregulated work hours.
- Nonpayment of outstanding arrears from the “25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).”
- The “unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.”
- The non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in various federal tertiary hospitals.
- The government’s failure to pay the “2024 accoutrement allowance” despite repeated assurances.
- Bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after completing postgraduate medical examinations, which leads to non-payment of new salary scales and accumulated arrears.
- Exclusion from the “specialist allowance,” despite their critical role in patient care.
- The exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, which “denies them rightful salaries, professional recognition, and career progression.”
- The “downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two,” resulting in reduced earnings and unpaid salary arrears.
President Suleiman also accused “some government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors,” vowing that the union will “collectively resist” such moves.
He urged NARD members to use the next few days to “hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the strike.”
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