Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, has issued an order restraining the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from embarking on the strike scheduled to commence on January 12.
The order was made on Friday following the ruling on a motion ex parte filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Attorney General of the Federation. The motion was argued by the Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami Shiru, who led a team of government lawyers.
Listed as respondents in the suit are NARD, its National President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, and its Secretary General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The court order followed NARD’s announcement on January 3 of plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike, tagged TICS 2.0, from January 12, citing the Federal Government’s alleged failure to implement agreements reached with the association.
In a statement issued by its president, Dr. Suleiman, NARD said the decision was taken at an Emergency National Executive Council meeting held on January 2. The association described the planned strike as an inevitable outcome of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government’s failure to meet several deadlines for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding signed with resident doctors.
As part of preparations for the renewed industrial action, NARD had directed presidents of its 91 centres nationwide to hold congress meetings and address the media. It also announced plans to hold 91 press conferences across the country within seven days, alongside centre-based protests scheduled to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026, followed by regional and national protests.
The association stated that the strike would only be suspended upon the full implementation of its minimum demands.
NARD had earlier suspended an indefinite strike on November 29 after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of an MoU in which the government committed to meeting the association’s demands within four weeks.
The demands include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table with arrears reflected in the 2026 budget. Other demands relate to the reintroduction of the specialist allowance, resolution of house officers’ salary delays, issuance of a pay advisory, clarification of entry-level and skipping issues, re-categorisation of membership certificates, regulation of work hours, and the resumption and conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
NARD explained that the one-week notice before the planned strike was intended to allow time for congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies and hospital managements.
