Nigerian doctors suspend nationwide planned strike

News Update

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its indefinite nationwide strike and directed its members to resume duties at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Speaking on Tuesday after a meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC), NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, said the decision followed fresh assurances from the federal government over disputed welfare issues.

Suleiman said the association had received assurances regarding the reversal of the government’s decision to stop the implementation of the Professional Allowance Table (PAT), which was scheduled to take effect from April 2026.

He explained that the suspension of the strike was based on the expectation that the government would fully implement agreed terms, warning that the association would not hesitate to resume industrial action if commitments were not honoured.

According to him, NARD has issued a new ultimatum to the federal government, giving it until April 21 to address outstanding demands, after which another strike action would become inevitable if there is no compliance.

The doctors had embarked on the indefinite strike in response to the federal government’s plan to halt the implementation of the revised PAT. The allowance structure had earlier been agreed upon after a prolonged strike in 2025.

The agreement included improved remuneration for resident doctors, covering call duty allowances, shift allowances, rural posting incentives, and non-clinical duty payments.

Although implementation was initially scheduled for January 2026 and later moved to February, NARD alleged that the government subsequently moved to discontinue the process by April, a development the association said undermined trust and violated previous agreements.

The association is also demanding the immediate reversal of the decision, payment of all outstanding entitlements, settlement of promotion and salary arrears for affected centres, and completion of the process for payment of the 2026 medical residency training fund.