The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said its ongoing strike is not about making unreasonable demands but about securing the bare minimum needed to sustain the country’s collapsing healthcare system.
In a statement released on Monday, signed by the association’s President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim, NARD responded to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recent comments on the ongoing strike and the government’s efforts to address doctors’ welfare.
Resident doctors across 91 federal and state tertiary hospitals began an indefinite strike on Saturday over unpaid arrears, delayed allowances, and other welfare-related issues.
While acknowledging the ministry’s attempt to reassure the public, NARD said the situation in hospitals across the country “completely contradicts” the ministry’s optimistic claims.
“NARD wishes to restate that it has 19 legitimate demands that have been consistently presented to the Federal Government. These demands are neither new nor unreasonable; they represent the minimum requirements for a sustainable healthcare system and for restoring dignity to medical practice in Nigeria,” the statement read.
The doctors listed their key demands, which include the payment of long-overdue arrears and allowances, the correction of irregularities in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and the implementation of delayed promotions and upgrades.
They also criticised the ministry’s claim that over ₦30 billion had been released to offset arrears owed to health workers, calling it a “diversionary” statement that does not reflect the true situation.
“Doctors received only a small fraction of the total amount released. These arrears — including the 25/35% CONMESS review, accoutrement allowance, promotion arrears, and other entitlements — have lingered for over five years,” NARD said.
The association noted that although payments for the 25/35% CONMESS review arrears began shortly before the strike, many doctors were yet to receive their full payments.
On recruitment and retention, NARD said the government’s claims of mass employment of health workers must be backed with verifiable data, noting that the number of active resident doctors in Nigeria had dropped drastically.
“Nigeria’s active pool of resident doctors has fallen from 15,000–16,000 a decade ago to barely 9,000–10,000 today, despite a rising disease burden. Poor remuneration, delayed salaries, and unsafe working conditions continue to drive the japa syndrome,” the statement said.
NARD also addressed the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), stating that while it appreciates the recent disbursement, the fund should not be treated as a favour but as a statutory right that must reflect current economic realities.
The group further criticised the government for failing to reinstate doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, describing it as “insensitive” given Nigeria’s worsening shortage of medical professionals.
They also demanded a review of the specialist allowance to include resident doctors who perform specialist-level duties and called for the correction of certificate re-categorisation issues by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which they said had demoralised many doctors.
Other demands include addressing unpaid salaries in several federal hospitals, enforcing the one-for-one replacement policy, ending the casualisation of doctors, and resolving issues of salary relativity and excessive work hours without compensation.
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NARD stressed that its industrial action is not just about money but about restoring dignity, ensuring safety, and saving Nigeria’s healthcare system from total collapse.
“This strike is not against the people; it is for the survival of our doctors, our patients, and the healthcare system,” the association said.
“We remain committed to dialogue, but only verifiable actions — not promises — will bring an end to this strike. Industrial peace cannot be achieved through press statements but through justice, sincerity, and respect for agreements,” it concluded.
