The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has announced sweeping financial and workforce measures aimed at addressing the long-standing grievances of medical professionals, particularly members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, revealed on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu had approved the accelerated payment of outstanding arrears owed to health workers, including NARD members.
According to Dr. Salako, as of October 30, an additional ₦21.3 billion had been credited to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) account, and payments to beneficiaries had already begun.
He added that a further ₦11.995 billion was in the process of being released within 72 hours to clear other pending obligations, including the accoutrement allowance. These payments, he emphasized, were being disbursed in accordance with the approved salary structure for health sector workers.
In a bid to tackle the effects of brain drain and the burden of excessive work hours, the Federal Government has also granted special waivers to facilitate large-scale recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary hospitals.
Dr. Salako described this recruitment initiative as part of a comprehensive effort to ensure that Nigeria’s healthcare institutions are fully staffed, safe, and well-equipped to deliver quality services to citizens.
He further confirmed that ongoing collective bargaining negotiations are taking place with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)—of which NARD is an affiliate—the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
Dr. Salako noted that these moves highlight the Federal Government’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of health professionals, maintaining industrial peace, and guaranteeing uninterrupted healthcare delivery across the country.
This announcement came in response to NARD’s earlier statement on October 26, declaring plans to begin an indefinite nationwide strike from November 1, 2025.
In a statement signed by NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, the association said the strike notice followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum previously issued to the Federal Government over unresolved demands.
According to the association, the decision was reached after a five-hour National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday. “The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement read in part.
What you should know
The Federal Government’s release of ₦33 billion to settle arrears for health workers marks a major step toward averting an impending nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.
The intervention, alongside plans for large-scale recruitment and continued dialogue with health unions, underscores the government’s effort to resolve lingering labour tensions in Nigeria’s healthcare sector while addressing the impact of brain drain and improving service delivery nationwide.
