The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Monday revealed that about N38 billion in salary arrears is owed to about 50,000 healthcare workers across the country, including administrative staff, over the past two years. This amount does not include the allowance arrears.
It lamented that the country, which 10 years ago had over 20,000 resident doctors, now has barely 11,000, with 9,000 at the federal level, 1,500 at the private hospital level, and about 500 at the state level.
NARD stated that there is no going back on its planned nationwide strike unless the government reinstates its members who were unjustly dismissed, pays some of the arrears of allowances and benefits owed, and restores the value of membership certificates.
Consequently, the association has declared a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike starting from 12:00 a.m. (midnight) on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, who made this declaration while briefing journalists on Monday in Abuja, directed all Resident Doctors in Federal and State tertiary health institutions nationwide to withdraw their services completely and indefinitely until the federal government and the affected state governments demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing the association’s demands.
Suleiman decried the federal government’s persistent failure to address the legitimate demands of the resident doctors, noting with utter disappointment that, despite several attempts to engage the Federal Government and repeated extensions of ultimatums as a show of goodwill from the association, the government has consistently failed to respond adequately to their demands.
Suleiman, who observed that some of the arrears owed by the government span over 10 years, added that there has been a failure to review the basic salary of doctors in this country for 16 years.
He said, “You cannot find a permanent secretary, a director, a minister, a member of the House of Representatives, a senator, even a councillor at the world level, who owed this amount of arrears. But then, essential workers, like health workers, teachers are being owed this series of allowances”.
“Five presidents before me engaged government in these conversations. I can tell you that, on this issue, this is the first time NARD has declared a total action after three years. The last time we had a strike that lasted more than 48 hours was three years ago. It was three years ago, so we were ready for that. We’ve been dialoguing for three years, and we have arrived here”.
He recalled that following the suspension of the five-day warning strike on 14th September 2025, the last NARD Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Katsina State, graciously extended the two-week ultimatum given to the federal government by an additional 30 days to address the 19-point demands as outlined in the AGM communiqué.
Suleima noted that the grace period has since elapsed, yet the federal government has failed to demonstrate the political will necessary to address the legitimate concerns of Nigerian resident doctors.
He stated that on Saturday, October 25, 2025, NARD convened an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting via Zoom to review the report of the National Officers Committee (NOC) on the status of implementation of our demands by the federal government and affected state governments and observed with dismay the Federal Government’s failure to fully settle outstanding arrears of five (5) months from the 25%/35% CONMESS review, and upgrade arrears to residents in training since 2024, despite repeated assurances.
Suleiman expressed deep concern over the federal government’s continued failure to pay the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance arrears, despite several assurances and commitments to do so, and also noted with grave concern that five members who were unjustly terminated from employment have not been reinstated, despite repeated engagement with the government on this.
He expressed serious concern about the prolonged working and call duty hours to which resident doctors are subjected, adding that the current unsustainable practice of spanning duties across several days poses serious risks to physicians’ well-being and patient safety.
Suleiman lamented that doctors continue to work excessive hours far beyond international standards without adequate rest, in clear contravention of established guidelines and international best practice, stressing that the government’s failure to enforce call duty regulations and work-hour limits is exploitative, inhumane, and dangerous to public health and safety..
