Resident Doctors Appeal to Medical Elders as Nationwide Strike Threat Looms

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on senior members of the medical profession to intervene, warning that the association may soon resume a nationwide strike.

NARD said it is on the verge of initiating a Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) previously signed with the association.

In a statement on Sunday, NARD Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, described the situation as critical for Nigeria’s healthcare sector.

“I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession,” Ibrahim said, addressing respected medical elders.

He explained that the looming strike resulted from the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government’s failure to honor the MoU freely entered into with NARD. “The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action, TICS 2.0, triggered by the government’s failure to implement the agreement,” he stated.

Dr. Ibrahim noted that the breakdown of trust between the government and medical professionals has been distressing. He highlighted NARD’s repeated patience, citing the suspension of strikes, issuance of ultimatums, and extensions that yielded no meaningful government response.

After suspending a warning strike, NARD issued a two-week ultimatum, which expired without response, later extended by 30 days and again by seven days. “Consequently, TICS 1.0 commenced, leading to limited engagement and the eventual signing of an MoU with clear timelines,” Ibrahim said.

He added that 31 days after the MoU was signed, no substantive progress had been made. “It is only fair to state that resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes, having shown restraint while government obligations remain unmet,” he said.

Dr. Ibrahim described resident doctors as the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals and lamented their overwork and demoralization. “When agreements addressing our welfare are treated with levity, it sends a dangerous signal that sacrifice, dialogue, and professionalism no longer count,” he said.

The NARD Secretary-General appealed to senior medical figures to intervene and urge the Federal Government to honor the MoU promptly.

This appeal follows the recent suspension of a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, 2025, after an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting. During that strike, about 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals withdrew services, disrupting healthcare delivery nationwide.

The strike was suspended following the signing of an MoU addressing issues including the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, release of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of promotion and salary arrears, implementation of specialist allowances, and resolution of entry-level and membership certificate matters. NARD had warned that failure to meet the agreed timelines could trigger a resumption of industrial action.