Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike

Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike, set to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, following a fresh dispute with the Federal Government over the revised Professional Allowance Table (PAT).

The decision was announced by NARD’s Secretary-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, after an emergency virtual meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC). According to him, the strike will involve a total and comprehensive withdrawal of services by resident doctors across public hospitals, raising concerns about healthcare disruption in Nigeria.

The crisis is rooted in the Federal Government’s reported decision to halt the implementation of the revised PAT, a payment structure agreed upon after the 2025 doctors’ strike. The Professional Allowance Table (PAT) was introduced to improve doctors’ welfare, covering call duty allowances, shift allowances, rural posting incentives, and compensation for non-clinical responsibilities. Although implementation was initially scheduled for January 2026 and later shifted to February, NARD claims the government now plans to stop the process entirely by April 2026, a move the association says violates prior agreements and erodes trust.

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Beyond the PAT dispute, the resident doctors strike in Nigeria is also driven by unresolved financial obligations. NARD is demanding the immediate reversal of the decision, payment of salary arrears and promotion arrears, release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and settlement of 19 months’ outstanding professional allowance arrears. Ibrahim stressed that failure to address these issues forced the association into industrial action.

The indefinite strike by resident doctors is expected to severely impact public hospitals in Nigeria, where resident doctors make up a large share of the workforce. The action could disrupt emergency and outpatient services, delay surgeries and medical procedures, increase pressure on private hospitals, and worsen access to healthcare for millions of Nigerians.

This development underscores the recurring tensions between NARD and the Federal Government over doctor welfare in Nigeria, including irregular salary payments and chronic underfunding of the health sector. The association has urged its members nationwide to remain united and committed to the strike until their demands are fully met.

Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike