Copyright tribuneonlineng
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced that it will commence an indefinite nationwide strike on November 1, 2025. NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the directive followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved demands. The announcement came after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Saturday. “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,” the statement reads in part. According to Suleiman, the NEC reached its decision after extensive deliberations on the government’s failure to meet the association’s requests. “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.” He said the National Officers Committee (NOC) had been directed to ensure total compliance and enforce strike monitoring across all centres. Suleiman added that all centre presidents and general secretaries were instructed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the NEC resolutions. “We have reported to NEC, and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance. “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 NARD President accused some government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, adding that the union would “collectively resist” such moves. He also urged members to use the coming days to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the industrial action. The planned strike is expected to disrupt medical services nationwide, as resident doctors form the backbone of clinical care in Nigeria’s healthcare system. On September 26, NARD had issued a one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country. ALSO READ: FG promises conducive environment for private energy investors Among the association’s grievances are excessive work hours, non-payment of arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja. NARD also cited the non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in several federal tertiary hospitals, and the government’s failure to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health. Other issues raised include bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after postgraduate examinations, exclusion from the specialist allowance, and the omission of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme. The association further condemned the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two, which it said has resulted in reduced pay and unpaid salary arrears across various federal hospitals. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
