The National Association of Resident Doctors has announced that it will resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike, known as TICS 2.0, from January 12, 2026, following what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to honour a previously signed Memorandum of Understanding.
The association had last week warned of a possible nationwide shutdown of medical services if outstanding agreements were not implemented. In a statement posted on X on Saturday and signed by its President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, the body said the decision followed resolutions reached during its Emergency National Executive Council meeting held on Friday.
According to the association, the renewed industrial action is aimed at pressing home its demands, which it said have been ignored despite multiple deadlines given to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government. The strike has been tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back.”
NARD said the action would resume at exactly 12:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, unless the government meets its minimum demands. It also announced plans for nationwide protests, beginning with centre-based demonstrations across hospitals.
As part of preparations, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres across the country to convene congress meetings and address the media afterward. The association said it plans to hold 91 press conferences nationwide within seven days to highlight unresolved welfare concerns affecting resident doctors.
In addition to the strike, NARD disclosed that centre-based protests would run from January 12 to January 16, 2026. This would be followed by regional protests coordinated by caucus leaders, and later a national protest organised by the National Officers’ Committee.
The association stressed that the suspension of TICS 2.0 would only be considered after the full implementation of its demands. It recalled that it had suspended its previous indefinite strike on November 29, after 29 days of action, following the signing of the MoU with the government. The agreement committed the government to meet the doctors’ demands within four weeks.
Among the unresolved issues listed are the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table with arrears captured in the 2026 budget. Other demands include clarification on skipping and entry-level matters, reintroduction of specialist allowance, resolution of house officers’ salary delays, issuance of a pay advisory, re-categorisation and certification after Part I examinations, regulation of work hours, and the resumption and conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
NARD explained that the one-week window before the strike resumes is to allow for proper congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies and hospital managements.
What you should know
Resident doctors in Nigeria plan to resume an indefinite nationwide strike from January 12, 2026, citing the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached in a Memorandum of Understanding.
The action follows weeks of warnings and comes with planned protests across hospitals nationwide.
NARD insists the strike will continue until its welfare-related demands, including unpaid arrears, allowances, and policy clarifications, are fully implemented.
