The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has announced major financial interventions and workforce reforms aimed at addressing the long-standing concerns of medical professionals, particularly members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, revealed this in a statement on Thursday, stating that President Bola Tinubu had authorised the expedited payment of arrears owed to health workers, including NARD members.
As of Thursday, 30 October, an additional ₦21.3 billion had been credited to the IPPIS account, and payments to beneficiaries had already begun. Furthermore, ₦11.995 billion is currently being processed for release within 72 hours to clear other outstanding arrears, including the accoutrement allowance.
Dr Salako explained that all payments align with the approved salary structure for the health sector.
To tackle the challenges caused by brain drain and excessive working hours, the Federal Government has granted special waivers to enable large-scale recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary institutions.
He added that this recruitment drive forms part of a broader strategy to ensure that Nigeria’s health facilities remain adequately staffed, safe, and well-equipped to deliver quality healthcare services to citizens.
On ongoing negotiations, Dr Salako confirmed that collective bargaining discussions are continuing with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)—of which NARD is an affiliate—the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
Dr Salako emphasised that these measures demonstrate the Federal Government’s firm commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of health workers, maintaining industrial harmony, and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of quality healthcare to Nigerians.
This announcement followed NARD’s statement on 26 October outlining plans to begin an indefinite nationwide strike on 1 November 2025.
In the statement, NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, explained that the strike directive was issued after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum previously given to the Federal Government over unresolved demands.
Following a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday, NARD stated:
“The NEC has set out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions necessary for the effective execution of this action.”