NARD Gives FG 14-Day Strike Ultimatum

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address its outstanding demands or face a nationwide strike.

The ultimatum was contained in a communique read by NARD's newly elected President, Dr Emmanuel Ogar, at the end of the association's 46th Annual General Meeting, which concluded in Calabar, Cross River State, at the weekend.

According to the association, the Federal Government has failed to implement several agreements reached with it on remuneration, career progression, professional allowances, and improved conditions of service. NARD said the delays have persisted despite repeated assurances and engagements between government representatives and its leadership, and that the prolonged non-implementation has hurt the welfare and morale of resident doctors across the country.

The association also argued that the current salary structure no longer reflects prevailing economic realities, while resident doctors are carrying excessive workloads because of severe manpower shortages in hospitals. NARD said the situation has been made worse by the continued migration of doctors and other health professionals abroad, which leaves those who remain with heavier responsibilities.

In response, the doctors demanded the immediate implementation of all outstanding agreements between the government and the association. They also called for prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements owed to house officers, and for a standardised template for compensating doctors for excess workload.

NARD further demanded full enforcement of anti-assault policies to protect health workers from attacks in the course of their duties, improved hospital infrastructure and equipment, and increased budgetary allocation to the health sector. The association warned that failure to address these issues within 14 days would break industrial harmony and could disrupt healthcare delivery nationwide.

The ultimatum arrives amid a period of visible strain in Nigeria's health workforce. Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital recently gave the Lagos State Government a seven-day ultimatum over unpaid specialist allowances and salary arrears, complaining that promises made to them had not been reflected in their pay. Their grievance rested on the fact that comparable allowances were already being paid to resident doctors at federal institutions and in several other states.

Medical consultants have raised separate concerns. The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria's UCH Ibadan chapter recently warned that the Federal Government is raising medical school admission quotas faster than it is delivering the infrastructure and teaching staff needed to train the extra students. Government officials have said they want annual medical school admissions to rise from about 12,000 to roughly 20,000 within a few years, partly to offset the doctors leaving for jobs abroad.

Safety is another pressure point. Data cited in recent reporting show that 91 health workers were kidnapped and 15 killed across 101 incidents between 2023 and 2025, and doctors' groups have repeatedly called for stronger protection for medical staff. NARD's demand for full enforcement of anti-assault policies speaks directly to that concern.

The Federal Government has not publicly responded to the latest ultimatum. Resident doctors form the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria's public hospitals, handling much of the round-the-clock clinical work in teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.

A nationwide strike would therefore have immediate consequences for patients, particularly those who cannot afford private care.

With the 14-day clock now running, attention turns to whether the Federal Government will engage NARD's new leadership and move on the outstanding agreements before the deadline expires, or whether hospitals across the country will again face the prospect of a withdrawal of doctors' services.