Nigeria’s health sector faces fresh uncertainty as the NARD strike is set to resume January 12 unless the Federal Government fully implements long-standing agreements.
Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system may be heading toward another major disruption as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume nationwide industrial action later this month.
The association warned that hospital services could be significantly affected if the Federal Government fails to meet the demands it says have been repeatedly ignored.
The decision to reactivate the NARD strike was taken after an expanded meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Friday, January 2.
At the meeting, resident doctors reviewed the outcome of previous engagements with government officials and concluded that progress on agreed welfare issues remained unsatisfactory.
Following the meeting, NARD’s President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, formally communicated the association’s position to members through its official X platform.
Speaking on behalf of the National Officers Committee (NOC), Suleiman announced the revival of the action plan known as TICS 2.0, stressing that doctors would no longer tolerate partial promises or delayed implementation.
The renewed strategy carries the slogan “No Implementation, No Going Back,” a message the association says reflects growing frustration among its members.
According to the resolution, the NARD strike will resume at exactly 12:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, if all minimum demands are not fully met before that date.
The NEC made it clear that only complete compliance—not assurances or phased execution—would be enough to prevent another shutdown of services in public hospitals.
Central to the association’s demands is the reinstatement of five doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja.
NARD described the dismissals as unjust and symbolic of wider systemic issues affecting resident doctors nationwide.
In addition, the association is demanding immediate payment of outstanding promotion arrears and salary shortfalls owed to its members.
Another major issue driving the looming NARD strike is the incomplete implementation of the professional allowance structure for doctors.
NARD insists that all accrued arrears must be properly captured in the 2026 national budget to avoid recurring disputes.
The association also wants clear guidance from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on entry-level placement and skipping, which it says have been inconsistently applied across institutions.
Resident doctors are equally demanding the reintroduction and enforcement of the Specialist Allowance, a benefit they argue is essential to retaining skilled professionals within Nigeria’s public health sector.
House officers have also raised concerns over persistent salary delays and unpaid arrears, prompting NARD to call for a formal pay advisory to standardise payments nationwide.
Beyond salaries and allowances, the association highlighted structural and administrative concerns.
These include the re-categorisation of membership certificates by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the timely issuance of certificates after Part I examinations.
NARD argues that delays in certification negatively affect career progression and morale.
The NEC also called for the immediate establishment of committees to regulate locum practice and work hours, noting that excessive workloads and poorly regulated schedules are contributing to burnout and medical errors.
Additionally, the association wants the stalled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process resumed and concluded without further delay.
NARD explained that the one-week window before the NARD strike resumes was deliberately created to allow for broad mobilisation and transparency.
During this period, resident doctors across the country are expected to hold congress meetings, engage the media, and notify relevant security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Hospital managements nationwide are also expected to receive formal notice, ensuring that patients and the general public are adequately informed of possible service disruptions.
The association said the aim is not to surprise Nigerians but to pressure authorities through lawful and coordinated action.
As part of the mobilisation plan, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres across Nigeria to convene immediate congress meetings and follow up with press briefings.
These engagements, the association said, are intended to ensure that doctors’ welfare issues dominate national conversations in the days leading up to January 12.
The NEC further approved centre-based protests scheduled to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026.
These local demonstrations will later escalate into regional protests coordinated by caucus leaders, before culminating in a nationwide protest led by the National Officers Committee.
Despite the hardline stance, NARD urged its members to remain calm, united, and disciplined.
The association described the coming phase as decisive, not just for resident doctors, but for the future of Nigeria’s public healthcare system.
It warned that continued neglect of doctors’ welfare would deepen the ongoing brain drain and further weaken service delivery.
As the January deadline approaches, all eyes are now on the Federal Government to see whether last-minute interventions can avert another NARD strike and restore stability to hospitals across the country.
Ireport247news
