The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared that its members will embark on an indefinite nationwide strike starting Friday, November 1, 2025, after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, NARD said the decision was reached following an emergency National Executive Council meeting held over the weekend to review the government’s response to its long-standing demands.
According to the association, the action became necessary due to what it described as the government’s continued neglect of issues affecting the welfare and working conditions of resident doctors across the country.
The association highlighted several unresolved matters including non-payment of salary arrears, failure to implement the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), poor working environments in hospitals, and delays in the recruitment and replacement of clinical staff.
After extensive deliberations and consideration of the hardship faced by members, the NEC resolved to commence an indefinite nationwide strike from 8:00 a.m. on November 1, 2025. The statement noted that the decision was not made lightly but had become unavoidable because of the government’s failure to act.
NARD expressed disappointment over the lack of meaningful engagement by government officials despite repeated dialogues aimed at resolving the issues.
The association lamented the deteriorating state of public hospitals, adding that healthcare workers continue to operate under harsh and overstretched conditions.
The planned strike is expected to disrupt medical services in public and teaching hospitals across the country since resident doctors make up a large portion of the nation’s healthcare workforce.
NARD called on Nigerians to understand the reasons for its decision, stressing that the strike is intended to improve the nation’s healthcare delivery system in the long term.
As of the time of this report, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has not released an official response.
