The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike on 1 November 2025.
NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, revealed this in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the strike directive followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare and policy demands.
The decision came after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Saturday.
“The NEC has outlined minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions required for the successful execution of this action,” the statement read in part.
According to Suleiman, the NEC unanimously resolved to embark on a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike starting at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, 31 October 2025.
He said the National Officers Committee (NOC) had been mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive, including implementing strike monitoring and enforcement measures across all centres.
Centre presidents and general secretaries have also been instructed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.
“We have reported to the NEC, and the NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive in full compliance. NEC has also directed centre presidents and general secretaries to call emergency congress meetings to brief members on the details,” Suleiman stated.
He accused certain government and non-government actors of harbouring “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, vowing that the association would “collectively resist” such actions.
Suleiman further urged members to use the days before the strike to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public about the planned industrial action.
The strike is expected to severely disrupt medical services nationwide, as resident doctors form the backbone of clinical care in most public hospitals.
NARD had issued a one-month ultimatum on 26 September 2025, demanding that the Federal Government resolve lingering issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country.
Among the grievances listed are excessive and unregulated working hours, non-payment of outstanding arrears from the 25 and 35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the alleged unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The association also cited the government’s failure to pay promotion arrears to medical officers in federal tertiary hospitals and the non-payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance, despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.
NARD expressed concern over bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after completing postgraduate medical examinations, which has resulted in unpaid salary adjustments and arrears.
It also condemned the continued exclusion of resident doctors from the specialist allowance and criticised the removal of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme — a move the association said denies them fair pay, professional recognition, and career progression.
Furthermore, NARD protested the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, which it said has led to reduced salaries and unpaid arrears in several federal hospitals.