The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has halted its indefinite industrial action after 29 days, bringing temporary relief to the country’s strained healthcare system.
The suspension was reached after extensive discussions during an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held on Saturday, where members agreed to pause the strike following progress made with the Federal Government.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Secretary-General of NARD, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, confirmed that the union decided to suspend the action based on a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding that addressed seven major conditions previously outlined by the association.
Throughout the nearly month-long strike, medical services across the nation were severely affected as roughly 11,000 resident doctors across 91 federally owned teaching hospitals and medical centres withdrew their labour in protest over conditions they deemed unfair and unsustainable. Patients bore the brunt of the shutdown, and public hospitals operated under immense strain.
Dr. Ibrahim explained that the signed MoU covered key demands such as the recall of the “Lokoja doctors,” the release of the Professional Allowance Table, settlement of outstanding promotion arrears, payment of salary backlogs in selected hospitals, the implementation of an upgrade for eligible doctors who passed Part I exams, enforcement of the specialist allowance, and addressing the lingering issue surrounding Membership Certificates.
He noted, “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 also revealed that two of the seven concerns had already been resolved. The Professional Allowance Table has officially been released, and a formal directive now requires that doctors begin at CONMESS 3 as their entry level.
However, Ibrahim warned that the association remains vigilant and will not hesitate to reinstate the strike should the government fall short of its commitments within the agreed four-week window. “If the remaining demands are not met before the agreed timeline, we will resume the strike,” he cautioned.
Similarly, the President of NARD, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, issued a detailed message on X titled “NARD Total, Indefinite and Comprehensive Strike: The Journey Thus Far, It is not over, until it is over,” outlining the status of the 19-point demands. He noted that while progress has been made, several issues remain in the implementation stage.
According to Suleiman, unresolved matters include the compilation of promotion arrears by hospital leadership, payment of salary arrears due within four weeks, further action on the specialist allowance by relevant authorities, and full implementation of the recommendation to reabsorb the “Lokoja 5” within two weeks. He added that processes for upgrades, the entry-level directive, and House Officers’ concerns had seen clear movement.
Suleiman also referenced ongoing actions such as halting the controversial clauses affecting locum staff, enforcing measures to limit excessive call duties, advancing committees tasked with reviewing work-hour policies, and resuming the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He emphasized that the NEC opted to suspend the strike for four weeks as a gesture of goodwill—not as a conclusion to the struggle.
He remarked that notable progress was achieved through the collective persistence of members, acknowledging that any shortcomings should be attributed to him as the association’s leader. Suleiman pledged to use the four-week grace period to continue advocating both publicly and privately for full implementation of the agreements.
According to him, the countdown toward the deadline begins on Monday, December 1, with a daily reminder to the government and the Nigerian public to ensure the commitments are honored. He urged resident doctors to remain steadfast, emphasizing that the temporary suspension is not an end but a strategic pause.
What You Should Know
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has suspended its nationwide strike after signing an MoU with the Federal Government addressing seven major demands.
While two issues have already been resolved, the remaining conditions must be fully implemented within four weeks.
The association warns that failure to meet the deadline will result in resuming the industrial action.
