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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its 29-day-old indefinite strike but warned that the industrial action will resume if the Nigerian government fails to implement all agreements reached within the stipulated timeframe.
The suspension followed deliberations at an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held on Saturday.
Confirming the development, NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, told PUNCH newspaper that, “The strike was suspended following the Memorandum of Understanding we signed with the Federal Government regarding the seven conditions we would consider before suspending the strike.”
He noted that two of the seven demands had been met, while the remaining five were expected to be implemented within four weeks in accordance with the MoU.
According to him, “The Professional Allowance Table has been released, and a directive has been given to the Head of Service that the entry level for doctors should be CONMESS 3. So, the strike has been suspended immediately.”
However, Ibrahim made it clear that the suspension was conditional, stressing that NARD would not hesitate to resume the strike if the government defaults on its commitments.
“If the remaining demands are not met before the agreed timeline, we will resume the strike,” he warned.
NARD began the indefinite industrial action on November 1, 2025, after what it described as the government’s repeated failure to honour earlier agreements.
The association, which comprises about 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals, paralysed health services nationwide during the period of the strike.
Announcing the initial commencement of the action, NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, had said the decision followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the government.
According to him, “the strike has become inevitable following the repeated failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria to honour its promises and implement the agreements reached with us after several rounds of dialogue, appeals and ultimatums.”
Suleiman added that although the association was aware of the hardship the action could cause, it had no alternative.
“We wish to address you at this critical time as we embark on a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike, a decision that did not come lightly, nor was it ever our desire. We are fully aware of the pains and inconveniences that accompany any disruption in healthcare services, and we deeply regret the situation.”
He further explained that the doctors’ demands were legitimate and aimed at protecting the nation’s health system. “Our demands are not selfish, neither are they politically motivated. They are genuine, germane, and patriotic, centred on the survival of the Nigerian health system and the well-being of every citizen who depends on it,” he said.
The demands include fair remuneration, payment of arrears, improved working conditions, adequate staffing, and provision of essential medical infrastructure — issues Suleiman said were crucial to restoring dignity to Nigeria’s health sector.
“A nation’s health system can only be as strong as the hands that sustain it. If the doctors are broken, under-motivated, or forced to seek survival abroad, the patients suffer most,” he stated.
Appealing to Nigerians for understanding, he urged citizens and stakeholders to support the doctors’ push for a functional healthcare system. “We therefore call on all Nigerians – our patients, civil society groups, labour unions, religious and traditional leaders, and every citizen of conscience – to stand with us. Add your voices to ours in appealing to the Federal Government to do the right thing.”
Suleiman also clarified that the strike was not a battle against the government but a fight to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.
