Resident Doctors Start Indefinite Strike November 1

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced that it will commence an indefinite nationwide strike on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

The decision followed a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.

In a statement released by NARD on Sunday, the National President, Dr Muhammad Umsan Suleiman, said the strike was declared after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved demands.

Dr Suleiman said the doctors were demanding a 200 per cent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), full implementation of the new allowances proposed in July 2022, immediate recruitment of additional clinical staff, and removal of bottlenecks delaying the replacement of doctors who have exited the system.

“The NEC has outlined minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay / no pay, no work’ resolutions necessary for a successful execution of this action,” the statement read in part.
The NARD president said the National Officers Committee (NOC) had been mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive and oversee strike monitoring and enforcement across all centres.

He added that centre presidents and general secretaries had been instructed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.

Dr Suleiman also accused certain government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, emphasising that the association would “collectively resist” such actions.

He noted that in the lead-up to the strike, members would use the following four working days to hand over patients, engage traditional, religious, and community leaders, inform the Nigerian public and media, and hold congress meetings in line with NEC directives.

“The NEC of NARD has unanimously resolved to embark on a comprehensive, indefinite strike. The NOC will implement this directive fully and without deviation,” Dr Suleiman reaffirmed.