Resident Doctors to Resume Nationwide Strike January 12 Over Unresolved Welfare Issues
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced that it will resume its nationwide industrial action beginning January 12, 2026, after its national leadership met to review persistent concerns over doctors’ welfare.
At a meeting of the Expanded National Executive Council on January 2, the association decided to reinstate its Total and Indefinite Clinical Services (TICS) 2.0 action. The leadership made it clear that unless the Federal Government addresses a set of core demands, there will be “no going back” on the planned strike.
In a statement after the meeting, NARD’s president, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, emphasised that members had shown patience but could no longer wait for unfulfilled agreements. The industrial action is scheduled to begin at midnight on January 12.
As part of preparations, the association has instructed the presidents of its 91 centres nationwide to hold congress meetings and engage the media over the next week. The aim is to ensure doctors’ concerns are widely understood ahead of the strike.
In addition to withdrawing clinical services, NARD has unveiled plans for staged demonstrations. These include centre-based protests from January 12 to 16, followed by regional rallies and a national protest organised by its National Officers’ Committee.
The association says it will only consider suspending the action once all its key demands are fully met. Among these are the reinstatement of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, settlement of promotion and salary arrears, and full implementation of the revised professional allowance framework in the 2026 budget. Other issues include resolving entry-level disputes, restoring specialist allowances and completing the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
The strike is expected to further strain Nigeria’s public healthcare system, particularly teaching hospitals and federal medical centres where resident doctors play important role in service delivery.
Patients have been advised to make alternative arrangements as hospitals brace for reduced services if the strike proceeds as announced.