Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja has issued an order restraining the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from proceeding with the strike action scheduled to begin on January 12.
The order was made on Friday while the court ruled on a motion ex parte filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria alongside the Attorney General of the Federation.
The application was argued by the Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami Shiru, who led a team of government lawyers in urging the court to grant the request.
Named as respondents in the motion and defendants in the substantive suit are NARD, its National President, Dr. Mohammad Suleman, and its Secretary General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
NARD had earlier announced on January 3 that it would resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike, tagged TICS 2.0, from January 12, citing the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the association.
In a statement signed by its president, Dr. Mohammad Suleman, the association said the decision followed resolutions taken at an Emergency National Executive Council meeting held on January 2.
According to NARD, the planned industrial action was the direct result of what it described as repeated failures by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to meet several deadlines for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding earlier signed with resident doctors.
As part of preparations for the renewed strike, the NEC had directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and address the media afterward.
“The National Officers’ Committee appreciates your patience, resilience, and continued support in our collective struggle for doctors’ welfare,” the statement said.
It added that the NEC resolved to resume TICS 2.0 under the theme “No Implementation, No Going Back,” effective from January 12, 2026, at 12:00 a.m., while also mandating centre presidents to hold congresses and brief the press.
The association further announced plans to hold 91 separate press conferences across the country within seven days to highlight doctors’ welfare issues.
NARD also disclosed that centre-based protests were scheduled to take place between January 12 and January 16, 2026, after which regional protests at the caucus level would follow, culminating in a national protest organised by the association’s national leadership.
It stated that the suspension of TICS 2.0 would only be considered after the full implementation of its minimum demands.
The association had previously suspended an indefinite strike on November 29 after 29 days of action, following the signing of the MoU with the Federal Government. Under the agreement, the government committed to meeting NARD’s demands within four weeks.
Those demands include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, payment of promotion and salary arrears, and the full implementation of the professional allowance table with arrears reflected in the 2026 budget.
Other issues raised by the association involve official clarification on skipping and entry-level matters by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the reintroduction and enforcement of the specialist allowance, the settlement of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, and the issuance of a pay advisory.
NARD is also seeking the re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees, and the resumption and timely completion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
The association explained that the one-week notice before the proposed strike was meant to allow time for congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements.
What you should know
The restraining order places legal pressure on NARD just days before its planned nationwide strike over unresolved welfare agreements.
While the government argues that industrial action would disrupt essential health services, resident doctors insist that repeated delays in implementing agreed terms have left them with no alternative.
The court’s intervention may temporarily halt the strike, but the underlying dispute over salaries, allowances, and working conditions remains unresolved.
