Resident doctors begin nationwide strike today over unpaid allowances, training fund

Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) today, embarked on a nationwide strike following the Federal Government’s failure to meet its minimum demands within the 24-hour ultimatum issued by the association.

Confirming the action, NARD President, Dr Osundara Tope Zenith, said the strike was inevitable after the government ignored repeated warnings and refused to show good faith in addressing the grievances of resident doctors.

Osundara said: “The strike became inevitable after the government failed to demonstrate good faith by meeting the minimum demands within the specified 24 hours.”

The decision followed an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held virtually on September 10, 2025, which was attended by representatives of federal, state, and private tertiary health institutions across the country.

NARD explained that its members have not received the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and insisted that the Federal Government must release it without delay.

The association also said the government had failed to settle five months of arrears arising from the 25% and 35% adjustment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review, despite several reminders.

The doctors further demanded the payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance, stressing that this entitlement had not been honoured.

They maintained that all other outstanding salary arrears owed to resident doctors in different institutions must also be cleared immediately.

Another grievance raised by NARD was the decision of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to downgrade the membership certificates of the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, which the doctors described as a deliberate attempt to undermine their professional standing.

In the same vein, the association accused the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) of failing to issue certificates to qualified candidates, a delay they said has caused unnecessary hardship for young doctors.

NARD equally decried the situation in Oyo State, where doctors at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, have been on indefinite strike due to unresolved welfare issues. The association criticised the Oyo State Government for neglecting its responsibility to its doctors. It also condemned other state governments that have refused to disburse the MRTF to resident doctors under their employment.

According to the association, these unresolved issues collectively made the strike action inevitable, as doctors could no longer continue to work under such conditions.