Tag: Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD)

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is set to resume its suspended nationwide industrial action on January 12, 2026, it has emerged.

The body warned that its members will return to full-scale protests and service withdrawal if the Federal Government does not fully implement its longstanding demands.

The decision followed an expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on January 2, 2026, after which members were briefed via the association’s official X platform, where the President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, addressed medical and dental trainees and signed off on behalf of the National Officers Committee (NOC).

In the update, the president unveiled a renewed action plan tagged TICS 2.0 with the slogan “No Implementation, No Going Back.”

According to the resolution, NARD will resume TICS 2.0 at exactly 12.00 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, unless its minimum demands are fully met.

The NEC said the suspension of TICS 2.0 would only be considered after full implementation of the nine minimum demands. 

These include the reinstatement of the five doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears; and full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.

Other demands are official clarification on skipping and entry-level placement issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives; reintroduction and implementation of the Specialist Allowance; resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears with issuance of a formal pay advisory; re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria; commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees; and resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.

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NARD explained that the one-week window before the resumption of action was deliberately designed to allow proper congress meetings, extensive media engagement and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements across the country.

The NOC said it fully aligns with the NEC resolutions and assured members of its commitment to implementing all directives, noting that engagements with relevant authorities would be intensified in the coming days.

As part of preparations, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and immediately follow up with press conferences to explain the grievances and resolutions to the public. 

The association said the objective is to dominate public discourse on doctors’ welfare across the country within the next seven days.

In addition, the NEC approved centre-based protests to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026. 

These will be followed by regional protests coordinated at caucus leaders’ level, culminating in a national protest to be organised by the NARD National Officers Committee.

The association urged doctors to remain calm, united and focused as it presses ahead with what it described as a decisive phase in the struggle for improved welfare and a more functional health system.

• Doctors move to observe progress for two weeks
• Patients lament doctors’ stay away from Abuja hospitals

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said the suspension of its five-day warning strike yesterday was due to the commencement of the payment of this year’s Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to its members who the government was owing.

The union said it called off the strike after the Federal Government promised to address its outstanding demands.

Also, patients at Asokoro District Hospital and many other hospitals across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were stranded over the weekend due to the strike.

They said there was nowhere for them to get treatment.

A patient at the General Out-Patients (GOP) Clinic, Kehinde Oladele, said a few patients received treatment early on Friday, while others were sent back around 8 a.m., the time fixed by the doctors to begin their strike.

Another patient, who gave her name simply as Mary, said she was at the hospital for a routine checkup.

She said: “Authorities in the FCTA have not said anything so far. I fear that we remain helpless even with our money when medical facilities are not working. If those meant to care for us are absent, where do we turn, pastors or traditional healers?”

At the Maitama District Hospital, many patients were unable to receive treatment.  

Ibrahim Musa, a resident, said: “Most people cannot afford private hospitals. The government hospitals are the only hope for the poor because their drugs are subsidised. A seven-day warning strike will have a terrible effect on citizens’ health. I appeal to the Federal Government and the FCT Administration to address the doctors’ demands.”

At the National Hospital in the heart of Abuja, patients with prior appointments also expressed fear that the strike might extend beyond the weekend and worsen the economic burden on the residents.

NARD said it would monitor the government’s promise for two weeks.

The union said it suspended the strike after considering the hardship it had on Nigerians seeking health care.

NARD President Tope Osundara said: “We did this as a sign of goodwill and to assist Nigerians who are seeking healthcare in our various facilities.”

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But in a memorandum yesterday, the union’s Secretary-General, Dr. Odunbaku Kazeem Oluwasola, and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Amobi Omoha, the union stressed that the decision came after a virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting on September 13.

The strike, which began on September 12, was suspended at 8 a.m. yesterday to give the government a two-week window to implement the agreements contained in NARD’s communiqué.

In the communique, besides the payment of the MRTF to all eligible members, the union said its outstanding demands include the payment of the outstanding five months’ arrears from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review and the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance.

It criticised the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)  for downgrading the West African postgraduate membership certificates and faulted the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria for delaying the issuance of certificates.

NARD also demanded the prompt release of a corrected circular on doctors’ remuneration from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC)

It added: “After due deliberations, and considering the plight of Nigerians grappling with health issues in the present harsh economy, the NEC resolved to suspend the strike action to allow the government a two-week window to fully implement our demands.” The doctors urged the Oyo State government to comply with the 15-day ultimatum issued by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) over unresolved welfare issues at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.

Failure to act, NARD cautioned, would compel its National Officers’ Committee (NOC) to direct all resident doctors in the state to embark on an indefinite solidarity strike.

The union also urged other state governments to address the welfare challenges facing doctors in their tertiary hospitals.

It added that its members in affected states were empowered by the NEC to continue with their industrial actions until genuine commitments were made.