Nigeria: Gbajabiamila Brokers Deal As Resident Doctors Set to Suspend Planned Strike

What the report says

Femi Gbajabiamila, Nigeria’s chief of staff to the president, helped broker an agreement on Tuesday between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, opening the way for the doctors to suspend a planned nationwide strike. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and brought together senior officials from the labour, health and finance ministries, as well as budget and payroll authorities.

According to the Leadership report carried by AllAfrica, the discussions focused on long-running disputes over salary arrears, promotions, allowances and other welfare issues. NARD president Muhammad Suleiman said the talks had addressed the main grievances behind the strike threat, although the association’s National Executive Council still had to decide whether to formally suspend industrial action. He said some implementation steps could begin within a week.

The agreement also covered payment timelines for house officers, meal allowances at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and efforts to settle outstanding hazard and specialist allowance arrears. The government also indicated that collective bargaining talks should be accelerated so any agreed terms can be reflected in the 2027 budget.

The report adds broader context: the doctors had threatened to begin an indefinite strike on 10 August if unresolved welfare issues persisted. Separately, the meeting touched on safety concerns for health workers, with plans for stronger hospital security and possible legislation treating attacks on health workers as aggravated offences.