The federal government has appealed to resident doctors to suspend their ongoing nationwide strike and return to work, assuring that most of their 19-point demands have been substantially addressed.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, made the appeal while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, following a fresh round of meetings with the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Salako said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the ministry to “do everything possible and legitimate” to ensure the striking doctors resume duties without further delay, noting that government has demonstrated good faith in resolving the issues that triggered the industrial action.
‘Our appeal is for the resident doctors to go back to work. We have not been idle. The federal government has been addressing these issues one by one, and most of them have been resolved or are in the process of being concluded,” the minister said.
Salako explained that the strike stemmed from long-standing issues raised during the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) meetings involving health sector unions, which began in August. He said 12 sessions of the CBA have been held since then, covering sensitive issues such as relativity, parity in remuneration, and the consultant cadre dispute among health professionals.
According to him, the government engaged an external industrial relations expert to mediate among the three major health unions; doctors under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), nurses under the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and other workers under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) to harmonise positions and avoid conflicting agreements.
“One of the key conditions of the CBA is that while it is ongoing, there should be no declaration of industrial disputes. We expect the resident doctors to respect this understanding,” he stated.
Addressing the doctors’ concerns over manpower shortages, the minister said the government had recruited over 40,000 health workers in 2024 and another 23,000 in 2025, across 78 federal health institutions. He said 78 per cent of those recruited were clinical staff, including more than 2,600 resident doctors.
He also disclosed that ₦21.3 billion has been released for the payment of arrears relating to the 25/35 per cent CONMESS review, promotion, and accoutrement allowances, with 60 per cent of doctors already paid. An additional ₦11.9 billion is being processed for disbursement this week, alongside ₦10 billion earlier paid exclusively to resident doctors as part of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
“If possible, we would pay our doctors ₦50 million each month, because no one can truly compensate a health worker for their service. However, we must work within the economic realities of the country,” Salako said.
Salako emphasised that the government was investing in infrastructure upgrades across tertiary hospitals, citing projects recently commissioned in Abeokuta, Enugu, and Sokoto as proof of commitment.
While acknowledging that challenges persist, the minister maintained that dialogue remains the best path forward, noting that the welfare of health workers remains a top priority of the Tinubu administration.
“The federal government values the contributions of all health workers, especially our resident doctors. We urge them to show good faith and return to work as discussions continue,” he said.
