The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume its previously suspended total, indefinite and comprehensive strike from January 12, following the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement agreed resolutions.
The decision was taken at an emergency virtual meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Friday and was conveyed in a statement issued by NARD via its official X handle, @nard_nigeria.
According to the statement, the National Officers’ Committee (NOC) said the resumption of the strike, tagged “TICS 2.0: No Implementation, No Going Back,” would commence at 12:00 a.m. on January 12.
The NEC directed centre presidents across the association’s 91 accredited centres to convene congress meetings and address the media within the next seven days to sensitize the public on the planned industrial action.
NARD said the strike would be accompanied by a series of coordinated protests, beginning with centre-based demonstrations scheduled to hold from January 12 to January 16.
It added that regional protests would follow, to be led by caucus leaders, while a nationwide protest would subsequently be organized by the NARD NOC.
The association said the suspension of the strike would only be reconsidered after the full implementation of what it described as its minimum demands.
These include the reinstatement of five resident doctors disengaged from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; and the payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears.
It also demanded the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.
Other demands include official clarification by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives of health institutions on skipping and entry-level placement issues.
The association further called for the reintroduction and implementation of the specialist allowance, the resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, and the issuance of a pay advisory.
It also demanded the re-categorisation of membership certificates and the issuance of certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
NARD called for the commencement of the locum and work-hours regulation committees, as well as the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.
The NOC explained that the one-week notice before the resumption of the strike was deliberately provided to allow centres to hold congress meetings, engage the media, and complete statutory notifications to security agencies and hospital managements.
The committee expressed appreciation to members for their patience, resilience and continued support, assuring them that engagement with relevant stakeholders would be intensified in the coming days.
It would be recalled that NARD, on November 29, 2025, suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, following an extraordinary NEC meeting and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government.
The association had granted a four-week window for the implementation of its demands, warning that failure to do so would lead to a resumption of the strike.
The earlier strike disrupted services in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide and was triggered by unpaid arrears, allowances, stalled promotions, workload concerns and other welfare-related issues affecting resident doctors.
