Doctors issue Federal Government new ultimatum to address demands
Doctors issue Federal Government new ultimatum to address demands
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued the Federal Government a new 30-day ultimatum to resolve lingering welfare and policy concerns affecting its members. These include unpaid salary arrears, promotion benefits, and the reinstatement of dismissed doctors.
The ultimatum was announced in a communiqué signed on Sunday by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim, at the end of the association’s 45th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, held in Katsina State from September 21 to 26.
The conference, themed “Mitigating Health Worker Migration through Extra-Remuneration Incentives: A Strategy for Sustainable Development”, also marked a change in leadership, with Dr. Suleiman elected as president, succeeding Dr. Tope Osundara.
Earlier in September, NARD embarked on a five-day warning strike, which it suspended after two days following the release of funds for the Medical Residency Training Fund and to give the government two weeks to meet its other demands.
At the AGM, members expressed concern over unresolved issues undermining doctors’ welfare and the health system.
They cited excessive and unsafe call-duty hours, the stalled review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for more than 16 years, persistent non-payment of corrected professional allowances, and months of unpaid promotion arrears.
The association also condemned the casualisation of doctors, the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and repeated delays in implementing the Medical Residency Training Act.
NARD decried worsening brain drain, the exclusion of house officers from the Civil Service Scheme, decaying hospital infrastructure, and failure to implement agreed pension benefits. It also rejected the creation of consultant cadres for non-medical doctors and the downgrading of postgraduate membership recognition.
Effective October 1, 2025, NARD directed its members to stop engaging in more than 24 consecutive hours of call duty, in line with international best practices.
The communiqué stated, “The AGM calls on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and implement clear, healthy call-duty working hours for doctors. In the interim, members should desist from engaging in more than 24 hours of continuous call duty.
“The AGM calls on the Federal Government to expedite action on the Collective Bargaining Agreement and complete the long-overdue review of CONMESS. The AGM demands the immediate release of corrected professional allowance tables, payment of accumulated promotion arrears within 30 days, and a one-for-one replacement policy to ease excessive workload.
“The AGM also gives the Federal Ministry of Health and the management of FTH Lokoja 30 days to reinstate the five sacked doctors. The AGM demands prompt settlement of arrears from the 25/35 per cent CONMESS review, 2024 accoutrement allowance, and other outstanding salary arrears within 30 days.”
It further urged the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to restore full recognition of West African postgraduate membership certificates, and called on the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to immediately issue membership certificates to eligible candidates.
The association demanded a decentralised process for promotions and training, the immediate commencement of specialist allowance payments, and inclusion of house officers in the Civil Service Scheme with prompt salary payments and payslips.
The association also appealed to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to urgently improve the welfare of resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
It further demanded the full enforcement of the CONMESS circulars in all federal, state, and private health institutions, as well as in medical schools and regulatory agencies.
On policy matters, the AGM resolved to step up engagement with the National Assembly to ensure sufficient healthcare funding in the 2026 Appropriation Act, while also pressing for the immediate implementation of the agreed special pension scheme for doctors.
