27/10/2025
NARD Declares Total Indefinite Strike: A Stand for Resident Doctorsโ Welfare Amid Government Silence
Fellow colleagues and all frontline health warriorsโbrace yourselves. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has officially declared a total, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike, effective Friday, October 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM.
Come Saturday morning, November 1, public hospitals across Nigeria may grind to a near standstill as resident doctorsโthe backbone of our clinical workforceโdown tools until their demands are addressed.
A Breaking Point: Months of Frustration, One Defining Decision
In a resolute statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, NARD President Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman announced the decision following a tense five-hour emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, October 25.
โThe NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a TOTAL, COMPREHENSIVE AND INDEFINITE STRIKE ACTION,โ
Dr. Suleiman stated, adding that the National Officers Committee (NOC) would implement the mandate โto its letter and in full compliance.โ
He urged members to remain steadfast and unified: โVictory is certain.โ
This action is not impulsiveโitโs the culmination of months of mounting frustration and unmet promises. On September 26, 2025, NARD issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve 19 key welfare and policy issues affecting resident doctors and medical officers.
The deadline expired with no meaningful response, prompting the NECโs emergency virtual session on October 25, where the governmentโs inaction was deemed unacceptable.
The 19 Demands: A Collective Cry for Justice
At the heart of the standoff are long-standing grievances that erode morale, compromise patient care, and fuel the exodus of medical talent. NARDโs non-negotiable demands include:
โข Payment of outstanding arrears:
Implementation of the 25% and 35% upward reviews of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), settlement of promotion arrears in federal tertiary hospitals, and payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowanceโlong overdue despite repeated ministerial assurances.
โข Reversal of unfair employment practices:
Immediate reinstatement of the five resident doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and correction of salary downgrades for new residents (from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to Step 2), which have led to pay cuts and unpaid arrears.
โข Work-life balance and career progression:
Regulation of excessive work hours, prompt rank upgrades following postgraduate exams, inclusion of resident doctors in specialist allowances, and proper integration of medical and dental house officers into the civil service for equitable pay and advancement.
โข Training and retention:
Full implementation of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and enforcement of a one-for-one replacement policy for emigrating doctors to mitigate the ongoing brain drain.
These are not abstract or excessive requestsโtheyโre calls for fair treatment, dignity, and sustainability in a health system under siege. Nurses and allied health professionals know this reality too: when one group is overburdened or undervalued, everyone suffers.
Governmentโs Stance : Promises
The Federal Governmentโs engagement thus far has been sluggish and superficial.
Despite earlier warningsโincluding a 10-day notice in early September over MRTF disbursement delays and CONMESS arrearsโno tangible progress followed.
By mid-September, NARD had even suspended a prior strike in Oyo State after partial state-level concessions. Yet, at the federal level, inertia persisted.
While the Ministry of Health offered verbal assurances, there have been no concrete timelines or payments. Since the NECโs decision, neither the Coordinating Minister of Health nor the Presidency has issued a formal response.
Dr. Suleiman further cautioned members about โevil and exploitative plansโ by some government and non-governmental actors targeting young doctorsโa warning that underscores growing distrust between the medical community and policymakers.
This continued silence isnโt neutralityโitโs neglect, and it betrays the trust that healthcare workers have placed in their leaders.
What Lies Ahead: Impact and Responsibility
This strike will undoubtedly be felt across the health sector.
Resident doctors manage 70โ80% of inpatient care in teaching hospitals, meaning their withdrawal could result in overloaded emergency rooms, delayed surgeries, and overstretched ICUsโdeepening the existing crisis caused by mass emigration.
Nurses, consultants, and house officers will shoulder heavier burdens in the interim, but unity remains essential.
Dr. Suleiman has directed members to complete patient handovers before the deadline, prioritize critical cases, engage the media and community leaders, and attend emergency branch meetings to maintain cohesion and communication.
A full communiquรฉ and press briefing are expected soon, outlining strike guidelines, monitoring strategies, and enforcement mechanisms under the โno work, no payโ rule.
Nigeria Medical Pulse
October 27, 2025
