Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU

Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned of an imminent return to a nationwide strike, appealing to senior members of the medical profession to intervene as talks with the Federal Government stall.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the association is on the verge of embarking on another Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) due to the government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed after the suspension of the last industrial action.

“I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession,” Ibrahim said while addressing respected medical elders.

According to him, the looming strike stems from the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour commitments freely entered into with NARD.

“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action, TICS 2.0, triggered by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour the MoU,” he stated.

Ibrahim described the situation as distressing, noting that it reflects a breakdown of trust between the government and medical professionals. He said resident doctors had exercised restraint for months by suspending strikes and extending ultimatums without receiving any meaningful response.

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He explained that after suspending a warning strike, NARD issued a two-week ultimatum, which elapsed without response, before extending it by 30 days and later by another seven days, all without results.

“Consequently, TICS 1.0 commenced, prompting limited engagement that culminated in the signing of an MoU with clear timelines,” he said.

However, Ibrahim noted that 31 days after the signing of the MoU, there has been no visible or substantive progress in its implementation.

“Resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes, having repeatedly demonstrated patience while government obligations remain unmet,” he added.

The NARD scribe said resident doctors, who form the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, remain overworked and demoralised, warning that failure to respect agreements sends a dangerous signal to professionals in the health sector.

“When agreements addressing our welfare endorsed by the Federal Government are treated with levity, it sends a dangerous signal that sacrifice, dialogue and professionalism no longer count,” he said.

He therefore appealed to respected medical elders to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to urgently implement the MoU.

The warning comes weeks after NARD suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, 2025, following an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting. About 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals withdrew services during the strike, disrupting healthcare delivery nationwide.

The strike was suspended after the signing of an MoU addressing issues such as the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, release of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of promotion and salary arrears, implementation of specialist allowance, and resolution of entry-level and membership certificate concerns.

NARD had warned that failure to meet the agreed timelines would result in a resumption of industrial action.

Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU