Resident Doctors to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Unmet Demands, 30-Day Ultimatum to FG Nears Expiry
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called an extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to review its 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare and policy issues.
In a notice obtained on Tuesday, the union said the virtual meeting will hold on Saturday, October 25, 2025, and will involve the National Officers’ Committee, Caucus Leaders, Centre Presidents, and General Secretaries.
The meeting, according to the notice signed by NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, will focus on assessing the government’s response to the doctors’ demands and deciding the union’s next line of action.
“I am writing to inform you that an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, 25th October 2025. Your presence and participation are crucial in addressing the matter at hand,” the notice read.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to determine whether resident doctors across the country will embark on another round of industrial action.
NARD had on September 26 given the Federal Government a 30-day ultimatum to meet several outstanding demands, including the payment of arrears from the 25% and 35% upward review of the CONMESS salary structure, which should have been settled by August 2025.
The association also lamented that resident doctors continue to endure unsafe and excessive work hours, sometimes spanning several days without rest — a situation it said threatens both the health of doctors and patient safety.
Other grievances include:
Non-payment of promotion arrears for medical officers across federal hospitals.
Failure to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance, despite repeated assurances.
Unjust dismissal of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
Bureaucratic delays in upgrading doctors’ ranks after passing postgraduate exams, causing arrears and salary shortfalls.
Exclusion from specialist and pension benefits despite prior agragreements
Read Also;
NAMDA denies strike claim, reaffirms autonomy of medical lecturers’ union
NARD also decried the continued downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, which it said has led to salary discrepancies in several hospitals.
The doctors further condemned the casualisation of medical workers, saying many resident doctors are left without job security or career progression for years.
They added that poor infrastructure, obsolete medical equipment, and the ongoing brain drain crisis have worsened healthcare delivery nationwide.
NARD also faulted the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for downgrading membership certificates issued by the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, calling it inconsistent with standards across the region.
The association warned that the government’s failure to implement the one-for-one replacement policy for doctors exiting the system has worsened burnout and staff shortages in hospitals.
The upcoming NEC meeting will therefore be a decisive one — determining whether NARD will give more time for dialogue or proceed with another nationwide strike.
