The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has given the Federal Government 30 days to resolve a series of long-standing welfare and policy issues affecting its members, warning that failure to act could trigger renewed industrial unrest.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s 45th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, which held in Katsina State from September 21 to 26, 2025.
The meeting, which had as its theme “Mitigating Health Worker Migration Through Extra-Remuneration Incentives: A Strategy for Sustainable Development”, also produced new leadership with Dr. Mohammad Suleiman emerging as President to succeed Dr. Tope Osundara.
Speaking at the close of the conference, Dr. Suleiman stressed that doctors would no longer accept what he described as “unsafe and exploitative conditions” in the health sector.
“Resident doctors can no longer continue under unsafe conditions where excessive call-duty hours and poor remuneration undermine both our wellbeing and the healthcare delivery system. We are giving government 30 days to implement our demands, failing which we will be left with no option but to escalate our actions,” he warned.
The doctors lamented unpaid salary arrears, delayed promotion entitlements, the non-payment of corrected professional allowances, and the non-implementation of agreed pension benefits.
They also condemned the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, insisting that they must be reinstated without delay.
The communiqué further noted that the review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure had been stalled for more than 16 years, even as decaying hospital infrastructure and worsening brain drain continue to cripple the system.
“Effective October 1, 2025, our members will no longer engage in more than 24 consecutive hours of call duty,” said NARD Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim. “This is in line with international best practices, and it is a decision we are determined to uphold.”
The association also expressed dismay at what it described as the “dangerous trend” of creating consultant cadres for non-medical doctors, while urging the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to restore full recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates.
In the same vein, it appealed to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to urgently address the welfare challenges of resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim, explained that the doctors’ demands were not merely about their own welfare but about safeguarding the future of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“The welfare of doctors is directly tied to the quality of healthcare Nigerians receive. Addressing our demands is not just about doctors—it is about saving lives,” he said.
The association further resolved to intensify its advocacy with the National Assembly to secure better funding for healthcare and medical training in the 2026 Appropriation Act, warning that its patience is running out.
