Resident Doctors To Resume Strike Jan. 12, Plan Protests

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to resume the nationwide strike from January 12, 2026.

The decision was reached at NARD’s emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on Friday.

In an update issued by its National Officers Committee, the association said it would resume the industrial action code-named TICS 2.0, tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back,” from 12:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12.

NARD had suspended the strike on December 1, 2025, giving the federal government four weeks to meet all its demands.

As part of the build-up, the association has mandated presidents of all 91 centres to convene congress meetings and subsequently hold 91 press conferences within the next seven days to amplify their grievances and demands.

NARD also announced a coordinated series of protests beginning January 12 to 16, to be held at the centre level, adding that these would be followed by regional protests led by caucus leaders, and eventually a national protest to be organised by the NARD national leadership.

According to the statement, the suspension of TICS 2.0 will only be considered when government fully implements the association’s minimum demands which include reinstatement of the five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja, payment of promotion and salary arrears and full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.

Others include official clarification from the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare on skipping and entry-level matters for hospital chief executives, reintroduction and implementation of the specialist allowance, resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, including issuance of a pay advisory.

The association also demand re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates post Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), activation of locum and work-hours regulation committees, resumption and speedy conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.

NARD said the one-week window before the protests is to allow “proper congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies; DSS, police, civil defence as well as hospital management.”