Resident doctors in Kaduna State will begin an indefinite strike starting Sunday, September 1, 2025, at midnight. The doctors are taking this action in response to the state government’s failure to implement the 2024 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and other agreed-upon welfare benefits.
In a statement, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Kaduna State chapter, said its members had been patient and continued to work beyond a previous deadline, hoping the government would honor its commitments. However, no changes were reflected in their August salaries, leading to the decision to strike.
Dr. Richard Daniel, President of the ARD, explained that the strike is a “necessary response to repeated delays in addressing doctors’ legitimate demands.”
In a related move, the resident doctors at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital also announced they will join the strike, effective midnight on August 31. Dr. Josiah Yakubu, representing the hospital’s chapter, noted that they had sent several reminder letters to the government since a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June.
Both associations are urging the Kaduna State Government to act quickly to avoid a complete shutdown of healthcare services. The doctors have stated they are ready to suspend the strike as soon as their agreements are fully met.
This strike mirrors a broader national trend in Nigeria’s healthcare system, where disputes over low pay and poor working conditions have led to frequent strikes and the mass migration of doctors abroad.
