The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has accused the Federal Government of diverting attention from the core issues underpinning its ongoing industrial action and called for the prompt payment of all outstanding arrears to prevent further prolongation of the strike.
In a statement jointly signed by NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Yahaya Ibrahim, the association said it has tabled 19 legitimate demands before the government, describing them as the minimum requirements for a sustainable healthcare system and for restoring dignity to medical practice in Nigeria.
The association noted that while the Ministry of Health claimed to have released over ₦30 billion to offset arrears owed to health workers, with doctors receiving only a small fraction, this assertion distracts from the real issues.
According to NARD, these arrears, including the 25%/35% CONMESS review, accoutrement allowance, promotion and upgrade arrears, salary arrears, and other entitlements, have lingered for more than five years without resolution.
NARD commended the partial commencement of the 25%/35% CONMESS review payments but stressed that many resident doctors are yet to receive their full entitlements.
The association also challenged the Federal Government’s claim of recruiting 20,000 health workers in 2024 and planning to hire another 15,000 in 2025.
It demanded that the Ministry publish disaggregated data showing how many of these workers are doctors, their cadre distribution across the 58 federal health institutions, and how many have since resigned or emigrated.
According to NARD, Nigeria’s active pool of resident doctors has dropped from 15,000–16,000 a decade ago to barely 9,000–10,000 today, despite a growing disease burden.
It blamed poor remuneration, bureaucratic delays in salary payments, and unsafe work environments for the worsening “JAPA” syndrome, stressing that what the country needs is retention, not rhetoric.
NARD acknowledged the release of ₦10.6 billion for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) but emphasized that the fund is a statutory right, not a privilege.
It lamented that disbursement of the MRTF is often delayed, uneven, and unadjusted for inflation, urging timely, transparent, and equitable disbursement going forward.
On the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, NARD welcomed the reinstatement of three but condemned the continued suspension of the remaining two, describing it as unjustifiable and insensitive. It insisted that all five must be reinstated immediately to restore fairness and industrial harmony.
The association also welcomed the appointment of a professional negotiator to engage with health unions but warned that the collective bargaining process must not become another open-ended exercise.
It called for clear timelines and deliverables to ensure implementation before the 2026 budget approval.
On regulatory issues, NARD faulted the recent re-categorization of the West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges certificates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), saying it has demoralized resident doctors nationwide.
The association urged an immediate reversal and proper consultation with relevant postgraduate bodies.
It called on the National Postgraduate Medical College to begin issuing certificates after the Part I examination, emphasizing that failure to recognize these efforts undermines professional morale.
NARD also decried the lack of pension reforms and called for the inclusion of doctors in the enhanced pension scheme for health workers, noting that many retire into uncertainty despite years of hazardous service.
The association maintained that beyond monetary gains, its struggle is about dignity, safety, and survival. It stressed that the ongoing exodus of doctors is not greed-driven but survival-driven, adding that a functional health system cannot be built on neglect, broken promises, and overwork.
NARD revealed that salary arrears remain unpaid in several institutions, including Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where doctors are owed 18 months’ arrears; Federal Medical Centre, Owo, with 4–8 months outstanding; and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, with 7–14 months pending.
It added that other unresolved issues include the non-implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, persistent casualization of doctors, downgrading of doctors’ entry level from CONMESS 3/3 to 2/2, unresolved relativity issues between CONMESS and CONHESS, and excessive work hours without overtime compensation.
NARD insisted that these matters must be urgently addressed for genuine industrial harmony to prevail, warning that the nation’s health sector cannot function effectively under continued neglect and unfulfilled promises.
