After receiving what it called "concrete commitments and clear timelines" from the Federal Government about the fulfilment of long-standing agreements impacting its members, the National Association of Resident Doctors decided to postpone its planned statewide strike.

Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, the association's president, made the announcement during an interview on AIT's Morning Show, Kakaaki, on Monday. He clarified that the suspension came after a demanding week of meetings with important government agencies.

The Ministries of Labour, Health, and Finance, the Budget Office, the National Assembly, and the Vice President were all involved in the engagements, according to Suleiman, and they all had a part to play in meeting the association's demands.

"We had a series of engagements on Tuesday," he said, describing the sequence of meetings that took place during the week. We were invited to a mediation meeting with the Minister of Health by the Minister of Labour. We went to see the Minister of Health on Wednesday. We took a seat and listed every problem. The Minister of State for Health extended another invitation to us on Thursday, and we continued our discussions.

Along with other unresolved concerns, Suleiman revealed that one of the main disputes, concerning doctors who were reportedly wrongfully disengaged in Lokoja, had been settled.

"With regard to our members who were wrongfully dismissed in Lokoja, it has been finalised that they are returning," he declared. Regarding our professional allowance table, which has been fixed.

The president of NARD also disclosed that the National Assembly had promised to include a number of unfulfilled budgetary commitments in the federal budget for 2026.

"We have received assurances that these will be included in the 2026 budget, even from the National Assembly, which was part and parcel of these engagements," he stated. We have also received assurances from the Director-General of the Budget Office that they have succeeded in capturing it.

Suleiman further stated that by writing to the Office of the Accountant-General, the Ministry of Health has taken official action to guarantee the prompt implementation of certain of the agreed-upon items.

"The Ministry of Health has officially communicated in writing to the Office of the Accountant-General that this should be implemented this month, this January," he said.

Suleiman stated that a joint committee had been formed to address issues with excessive workload and appointment practices, especially in Lokoja.


"With regard to the committees to look at Lokoja appointment policies and excess workload, doctors working endlessly, taking calls in and out, the committee has been set up, and we are fully represented," he said. Meetings are going to begin.

He added that concerns pertaining to residency training and certification, which had previously caused members to express worry, have also seen progress.

He explained, “On our membership certificate, we have sat down and looked at the issues. The Medical and Dental Council, the National Postgraduate Medical College and NARD will sit down. That committee has also been constituted to resolve the issue.”

Suleiman also disclosed that arrears arising from delayed promotions and salary shortfalls across several teaching hospitals had been compiled and forwarded for payment.

He said, “Medical officers have been promoted year in, year out without promotion arrears going back to 2020. That compilation has been transmitted to finance, and we have engaged the Minister of State for Finance, who assured us it will receive the necessary attention.”

The affected institutions, according to him, include “UUTH, UUI, FMCO, OAUTHC, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and the University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital.”

He added that some doctors in these institutions were owed between four and 20 months of arrears.

“These have been captured and forwarded to the DG Budget and the Minister of Finance. We are in conversations that these issues will receive the necessary attention as soon as possible,” he said.

On the controversial 40, 25 and 35 per cent arrears affecting thousands of doctors, Suleiman said the process of payment was already underway and nearing completion.

He stated, “Almost 3,000 of our members are to receive these arrears. The Minister of Labour has written to the Minister of Finance and the Accountant-General, calling the attention of IPPIS to ensure that since the money is available and everything has been cross-checked, these monies are paid within the next one or two weeks.”

Suleiman stressed that the association agreed to suspend the strike based strictly on clear timelines agreed during the engagements.

“There are key timelines. We are looking at it from now till about two weeks to review the state of implementation of these agreements,” he said.

He identified the intervention of Vice President Kashim Shettima as a critical turning point in resolving the impasse between the doctors and the government.

According to him, “The number two citizen of the country invited us, all these issues were x-rayed, and he took it upon himself to ensure that all relevant agencies are brought into the conversation so these items are implemented to the satisfaction of our members.”

Explaining what changed between earlier scepticism and the eventual suspension of the strike, Suleiman attributed the shift to sustained engagement and public support.

He said, “From the time we set out to agitate, no one ever said our demands were illegitimate or that we were asking for too much. These are old agreements.”

He added, “The seriousness with which Nigerians came to our aid and the seriousness with which the media took up the matter sent the right message.”

Despite the progress recorded, Suleiman warned that the union’s patience was conditional on government action matching its promises.

“It is now left for us to see that government follows its words with action over the next one or two weeks. Some actions are already taking place, and we have follow-ups today, tomorrow and hopefully Wednesday,” he said.

Beyond the immediate agreements, the NARD president painted a grim picture of the Nigerian health sector, highlighting the scale of doctor migration from the country.

He revealed, “We lost about 4,700 doctors in 2024 alone, while we produce just about 2,000 to 3,000 doctors yearly. In the next 10 years, we are likely to lose over 10,000 doctors.”

Suleiman identified poor infrastructure and the high cost of power supply as major challenges undermining effective healthcare delivery in federal teaching hospitals.

He said, “A federal teaching hospital can have electricity bills of ₦60 million to ₦100 million monthly. It is not sustainable. Emergencies are sometimes planned around when generators are on, and that affects patient care.”

He also decried the excessive working hours endured by resident doctors across the country.

“An average resident doctor works about 106 hours a week; some do up to 120 hours — over 450 hours a month. This is not compatible with decent human life,” he said, comparing the situation with the United Kingdom’s 48-hour weekly work cap.

While expressing cautious optimism, Suleiman reiterated that the union would not hesitate to reassess its position if government commitments were not fulfilled.

“If we don’t see movement in the right direction in the next few weeks, the National Executive Council will reassess the situation,” he said.

He concluded by thanking the media for its role in amplifying the concerns of resident doctors across the country.

“Nigerians need to appreciate the work you do in bringing these issues to the forefront so solutions can be found,” he added.