Resident doctors secure commitments on salaries, promotions and allowances after meeting with Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is set to suspend its planned nationwide strike following a three-hour meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and top government officials at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, convened by Gbajabiamila on Tuesday, brought together the Ministers of Labour, Health and Finance, alongside the Director-General of the Budget Office, the Accountant-General of the Federation and other key government officials to address the association’s outstanding demands.
Speaking after the meeting, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said the Federal Government had agreed to clear timelines for resolving salary, promotion and allowance issues that prompted the strike threat. He expressed confidence that the intervention had substantially resolved the association’s grievances but explained that the final decision on suspending the strike would be taken after consultation with NARD’s National Executive Council.
Suleiman disclosed that the government also directed that salaries of house officers should be paid before the 10th of every month to prevent recurring delays. He added that discussions on the Collective Bargaining Agreement had been accelerated, with the Ministries of Labour and Health mandated to conclude negotiations in time for implementation in the 2027 budget.
The association also raised concerns over increasing attacks on healthcare workers. Suleiman said the Federal Ministry of Health had agreed to strengthen security in hospitals and launch public awareness campaigns against assaults on medical personnel, while Gbajabiamila pledged to support legislation that would make attacks on health workers a more serious criminal offence.
On unpaid hazard and specialist allowance arrears, Suleiman said the government acknowledged the outstanding liabilities and agreed to work with the Budget Office to establish a payment timeline after reviewing the actual financial obligations.
Although Suleiman declined to formally announce the suspension of the planned industrial action, he maintained that the Presidency’s intervention had significantly addressed the doctors’ concerns. He said the association’s leadership would brief its National Executive Council before making its final decision.
A source familiar with the meeting disclosed that NARD leaders had privately assured the Presidency that the proposed strike would be suspended following the agreements reached.
NARD had earlier threatened to commence an indefinite nationwide strike on August 10 over unresolved salary arrears, welfare concerns and other longstanding issues affecting resident doctors across the country’s teaching and specialist hospitals.