NARD suspends nationwide strike, warns of fresh action if issues persist

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its 29-day nationwide strike after the Federal Government met part of the union’s demands.

The association, however, cautioned that the industrial action could resume if the remaining issues are not resolved within the agreed timeframe.

During the strike, about 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals withdrew their services, significantly disrupting healthcare delivery across the country.

NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, confirmed the suspension on Saturday, explaining that the decision followed deliberations at an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government.

He stated that two of the union’s seven demands have been fulfilled—namely, the release of the Professional Allowance Table and the directive setting the entry level for doctors at CONMESS 3. The remaining five demands are expected to be addressed within four weeks.

“The strike was suspended after we signed the MoU outlining the seven conditions required,” Dr. Ibrahim said. “Two have been met, while the others are to be fulfilled within the next four weeks.”

He emphasized that NARD would not hesitate to reinstate the strike if the government fails to honour its commitments. The unresolved demands include the reinstatement of sacked resident doctors in Lokoja, payment of promotion and salary arrears in specific hospitals, implementation of upgrades for doctors who passed their Part I exams, payment of specialist allowances, and the resolution of issues related to the Membership Certificate.

NARD said it will monitor compliance closely over the coming weeks as resident doctors resume duties across health facilities nationwide.