Doctors Give Federal Govt 4 Weeks To Implement Agreement

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned that it will immediately resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government fails to fully implement all agreements reached during recent conciliatory meetings.

The warning followed an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held virtually on Saturday, November 29, 2025, where the association reviewed the status of its 19-point demands and assessed the government’s level of compliance.

NARD had embarked on a total, indefinite, and comprehensive strike on November 1, 2025, over years of unimplemented agreements, but suspended the action for four weeks to allow the government time to meet its commitments.

In its communiqué, the NEC said the suspension is “conditional,” stressing that any further delays or partial implementation would trigger an immediate return to the industrial action.

Despite acknowledging limited progress, the association said many key issues remain unsettled, including outstanding arrears from the 25/35 per cent upward review of the CONMESS salary structure, with several omissions and failed payments still pending reconciliation by IPPIS.

Others include incomplete payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance, non-implementation of recommendations concerning five resident doctors disengaged from the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja, persisting prolonged work and call duty hours due to manpower shortages and slow action on the one-to-one replacement policy.

The association also listed unpaid promotion arrears for medical officers in federal and state institutions, delays in implementing the specialist allowance for doctors on CONMESS 5 despite clear directives from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) as part of the unresolved issues.

The doctors  expressed concern over the slow progress of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process and persistent issues affecting newly employed resident doctors’ entry-level placements.

The doctors’ body outlined a series of immediate actions expected from the government within the four-week window.

The demands include “Full implementation of the committee’s recommendations on the five disengaged FTH Lokoja doctors within two weeks. Immediate resolution of all payment-related challenges affecting CONMESS review arrears and accoutrement allowance.

“Immediate implementation of the specialist allowance for CONMESS 5 doctors, compilation and transmission of outstanding promotion arrears to the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance within one month, and urgent transmission of outstanding salary and allowance arrears of affected hospitals to relevant financial authorities.

“Activation of the Central Taskforce Committee on duty hours and locum arrangements, with a policy framework due in two months, full implementation of entry-level corrections as directed by the OHCSF, rapid improvement of infrastructure and equipment in health institutions.

“Resumption and timely completion of the stalled CBA exercise and implementation of the one-to-one replacement policy to address burnout and workforce gaps.”

The association further directed state and federal health institutions with outstanding local issues to continue their industrial actions until their managements show concrete commitment toward resolving them.

NARD stated that the four-week suspension is not an indication of resolved disputes but an opportunity for government to demonstrate sincerity.

“The NEC resolves that failure by the government to implement the aforementioned agreed demands fully will result in lifting the current suspension of strike action and the resumption of the Total, Indefinite, and Comprehensive Strike,” the statement warned.

The NEC expressed appreciation to individuals and institutions that supported the mediation efforts, saying their interventions contributed to the progress recorded so far.

As the clock begins to count down on the four-week deadline, all eyes remain on the federal government’s next steps and whether Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system will face yet another shutdown.