Health services across Nigeria are facing major disruption as about 11,000 resident doctors under the banner of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have gone on an indefinite nationwide strike.
The industrial action, which began at 12:00 am on Saturday, is affecting operations in 91 health facilities, including teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, specialist institutions and some private facilities.
NARD Chairman Dr Muhammad Suleiman confirmed the strike in a telephone interview with BusinessDay, adding that the decision was taken following the expiry of a 30-day ultimatum and an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held earlier in the week.
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Suleman said, “Our members have decided to go ahead with the strike. Although the Finance Ministry is making efforts to address some financial issues, it alone does not cover all our demands. We have resolved to go ahead with the overall, comprehensive and indefinite strike.”
The association is preparing a list of 19 unfulfilled demands, ranging from outstanding salaries and unpaid allowances to unsafe working conditions and staff shortages.
Central to their grievances are the non-payment of 25 to 35 per cent of CONMESS salary arrears, delay in specialist allowances and the continued dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
Other demands include immediate recruitment of additional doctors and upgrading of medical facilities and equipment in public hospitals through full implementation of the government's one-for-one replacement policy to address the growing shortage of medical personnel.
“The government is engaging us on financial aspects, but this is just one of the 19 demands that have largely gone unheeded. This strike is not an executive decision; it is a collective order from our members across the country,” Suleman revealed.
The association is also demanding improvements in entry-level placements for home officers, full inclusion of junior doctors in the public service pay structure, and the establishment of internationally aligned working-time policies to protect both doctors and patients.
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The strike could have serious consequences on the country's already strained healthcare system. Nigeria's public hospitals are struggling due to limited manpower, poor infrastructure and migration of medical professionals to other countries in search of better conditions.
Patients in major cities including Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt could bear the brunt of the shutdown, as resident doctors form a vital part of Nigeria's hospital workforce. Their absence is likely to delay surgeries, suspend outpatient consultations and restrict emergency care in many tertiary institutions.
Despite those engagements, NARD insists that it will not back down until concrete steps are taken to resolve their long-standing grievances. Suleiman said, “We are not demanding luxuries. We are demanding fair wages, safe conditions and functional hospitals for Nigerians.”
As negotiations continue, the strike underscores persistent tensions between health workers and the government, a crisis that has threatened the stability of Nigeria's health care delivery system for years.
