Resident doctors in Nigeria have announced plans to resume a nationwide strike on January 12, accusing the Federal Government of failing to implement key agreements that led to the suspension of their earlier industrial action.
The decision was reached at an emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), according to a statement issued by the association and reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
NARD said the strike will be total, indefinite and comprehensive, marking a continuation of the industrial action suspended in November 2025 after weeks of negotiations with government officials.
The association said the renewed strike, tagged “TICS 2.0: No Implementation, No Going Back,” will begin at midnight on January 12, stressing that critical provisions of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Federal Government have not been implemented within the agreed timeline.
In a statement, NARD said: “Dear Nigerians, NEC has resolved to resume TICS 2.0 action following the failure of FGN / FMoH & SW to honour the signed MoU. Goodwill has been exhausted. Implementation remains stalled.”
The association directed resident doctors across the country’s 91 accredited training centres to hold congress meetings and brief the media ahead of the strike. It also disclosed plans to intensify public engagement by disseminating information widely in the days leading up to January 12.
Beyond withdrawing medical services, NARD said it would embark on coordinated protests. These include centre-based demonstrations from January 12 to January 16, followed by zonal protests led by caucus leaders, and later, a nationwide protest coordinated by the association’s national leadership.
Key Demands
NARD said the strike would only be suspended after the full implementation of its minimum demands, which include:
- Reinstatement of five resident doctors disengaged from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
- Payment of outstanding promotion arrears and salary shortfalls.
- Full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 federal budget.
- Clarification by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on skipping and entry-level placement.
- Reintroduction and implementation of a specialist allowance.
- Resolution of salary delays affecting house officers and issuance of a pay advisory.
- Reforms in postgraduate medical training, including recategorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
- Immediate inauguration of committees to regulate locum work and working hours, and the resumption and timely conclusion of collective bargaining negotiations.
