Public hospitals will grind to a halt as resident doctors across Nigeria commence an indefinite nationwide strike midnight on Saturday, November 1, 2025, an action that will leave many patients stranded.
The fresh action, declared by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), follows weeks of failed negotiations with the Federal Government over unmet 19 demands.
Recall that the association suspended its five-day warning strike on September 14, 2025, two days after it began, giving the Federal Government an additional two weeks’ ultimatum to meet its demands.
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Healthcare services across the country are set to experience major disruptions today as about 11,000 members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors commence an indefinite nationwide strike.
Findings by Straightnews online shows that the industrial action will affect 91 healthcare facilities across the country.
NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, stated this on Monday in Abuja while addressing journalists after an Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
At a press conference held in Abuja, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said the decision was reached after a five-hour emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) last week.
He said the association had exercised restraint and patience despite repeated government’s inaction on critical welfare and payment issues affecting doctors and other healthcare workers.
“There are allowances pending for over two years, some for 18 months, seven months, four months, and even as far back as 10 years. The basic salary of doctors in this country has not been reviewed for 16 years,” he said.
He added that the federal government owes medical personnel an estimated N38 billion in accumulated allowances and arrears, while several hospitals continued to operate under poor conditions due to lack of funding and inadequate staffing.
Resident doctors list 19 demands
The NARD President said that over ₦38 billion in accumulated allowances was still owed to medical personnel across the country.
“There are allowances of over two years, some for 18 months, seven months, four months, and even 10 years,” he said.
“There has also been a failure to review the basic salary of doctors in this country for 16 years.”
Suleiman explained that the association had suspended a five-day warning strike in September and extended its ultimatum by 30 days to give government room to act, but said no concrete steps had been taken since.
“The Federal Government has failed to demonstrate the political will necessary to address the legitimate concerns of Nigerian resident doctors,” he said.
Among the 19 demands, the NEC called for immediate payment of outstanding 25–35 percent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) arrears, 2024 accoutrement allowances, and other pending entitlements owed to doctors and health workers nationwide.
The doctors also demanded the reinstatement of five resident doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; urgent upgrade of medical facilities across the country; and immediate implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy to reduce the workload caused by unfilled vacancies.
NARD further urged government to enforce the payment of specialist and professional allowances, correct all entry-level placements, clear promotion arrears, and end the casualisation of doctors by regularising all locum staff.
“The NEC further demands the immediate release and implementation of corrected tables of professional allowances and enforcement of relativity between CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures,” Suleiman said.
