The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Friday, November 1, 2025, following the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government.
NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the decision was reached after a five-hour emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Saturday.
According to Suleiman, the strike was approved after the government failed to address a series of unresolved welfare and policy issues affecting resident doctors across the country.
“The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.,” the statement read.
He said the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been mandated to enforce full compliance with the directive and implement strike monitoring mechanisms across all hospitals nationwide.
Centre presidents and general secretaries have also been instructed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions and coordinate the handover of patients before the strike begins.
Dr. Suleiman accused some government and non-government actors of what he described as “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, vowing that the association would resist any attempt to undermine its members.
The industrial action is expected to paralyse medical services across the country, as resident doctors constitute the majority of the nation’s hospital workforce and play a key role in clinical service delivery.
NARD had, on September 26, 2025, issued a one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address several pending issues, including unpaid salary arrears, poor working conditions, and unresolved welfare matters.
Among the grievances listed by the association are: Nonpayment of outstanding arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). Unjust dismissal of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Nonpayment of promotion arrears, and the 2024 accoutrement allowance.
Others are bureaucratic delays in upgrading doctors’ ranks after postgraduate examinations, leading to unpaid arrears, exclusion of resident doctors from specialist allowances, and downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, resulting in reduced salaries.
The association also condemned the continued exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, a policy it said denies them their rightful salaries, recognition, and career advancement.
NARD urged members to use the days leading up to the strike to sensitise the public, engage community leaders, and ensure a smooth handover of patients to prevent disruptions in ongoing treatments.
The Federal Government is yet to respond to the latest strike notice.
