Nigeria: Resident Doctors Threaten Nationwide Strike

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Premium Times report from Abuja, says the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has threatened a nationwide indefinite strike beginning at 8 a.m. on 10 August if the federal government does not resolve unpaid arrears, welfare concerns and other demands before then. The decision was announced in a communiqué after NARD’s National Executive Council meeting in Gombe State, where the association reviewed earlier agreements with government.

According to the report, NARD is demanding payment of arrears linked to the 25 and 35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, 19 months of unpaid professional allowance arrears, and salary and promotion arrears owed in several federal health institutions. It also wants resident doctors omitted from the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund disbursement to be paid. While noting that some residency training funds were recently released, the association said many obligations remain outstanding.

The doctors’ group also raised concerns about Lagos University Teaching Hospital, accusing management of intimidation and of failing to provide call duty meals despite previous engagements. NARD called for federal intervention and said unresolved issues at LUTH could contribute to the planned “Total and Comprehensive Industrial Strike.”

Premium Times reported that NARD further condemned assaults and harassment of doctors, calling for a national protocol and legislation to protect health workers. The association linked its demands to broader problems in Nigeria’s public health system, including underfunding, weak infrastructure, staffing shortages and high out-of-pocket costs. Resident doctors’ strikes have recurred in Nigeria in recent years, often disrupting services in public hospitals that many patients depend on.