The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) again directed its members in 91 tertiary health institutions across the country to withdraw their services completely and indefinitely from 12:00 am (midnight) on Monday, January 12, 2026 to press home their demands.
The resident doctors are demanding payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), five months’ worth of salary arrears from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) adjustment, and the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance.
They are also complaining of issues such as low remuneration, understaffing, burnout, and the need for better working conditions and infrastructure in public hospitals. NARD accuses the Federal Government of failing to honor previous agreements, despite extensions and dialogue.
The present action follows earlier shorter warning strikes and an indefinite stoppage in late 2025, indicating ongoing unresolved disputes.
Nigerian resident doctors have a history of frequent strikes, often over unpaid salaries and allowances, like hazard pay, arrears from 2014, poor welfare, and unimplemented agreements with the government, leading to major disruptions in healthcare, with significant actions in 2020, 2021, and recent actions in late 2025 and early 2026, including a recent 29-day strike in November 2025 and the present one over unfulfilled promises from the last suspension.
From 2020 to 2021, the strikes occurred due to non-payment of salaries, COVID-19 hazard allowance, and arrears, highlighting strained government-doctor relations. In April 2021, a 10-day strike ended with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that wasn’t fully implemented, leading to threats of further action. In Late 2025 (Nov 29), NARD suspended a 29-day strike after a MoU was signed, covering welfare, allowances, and conditions, but warned of resumption if unmet. The present strike is due to government’s failure to implement the November 2025 MoU, with demands including arrears, hazard allowances, and reinstatement of colleagues. These recurring actions underscore persistent disagreements between NARD and the Nigerian government over financial and professional welfare issues.
Their common demands are: payment of salary arrears and allowances, for instance, Medical Residency Training Fund and hazard allowance, improved welfare, working conditions, and professional allowances, implementation of signed MoUs and collective bargaining agreements, as well as reinstatement of doctors at Lokoja among others.
Doctors’ strikes cause significant negative effects, including longer wait times, cancelled surgeries and appointments, limited emergency care, increased patient distress, higher mortality rates, especially for vulnerable groups, disruption to chronic care, drug and reagent wastage, and a potential increase in “brain drain” as doctors leave for better conditions, creating a cycle of poor service and patient suffering. Consequently, this leads patients to worsening conditions and makes them “live in limbo”, while others incur higher costs seeking expensive private care.
Here in Benue State, the situation seems to be obstinate as the Association of Resident Doctors, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, (ARD BSUTH), have been on strike since December 1, 2025. Prior to this, the association participated in the nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from November I to 29, 2025. They are demanding payment of 18 months’ arrears of CONMESS, non-remittance of pensions despite ongoing deductions, and excess tax deductions. They are also requesting for renovation of doctors’ quarters and establishment of a security post, increasing entry level to CONMESS 3/6, among other demands.
The positive impact of human health far outweigh every other sphere of life, hence the need to do everything humanly possible to forestall doctors’ strikes in the country. Preventing doctors’ strikes requires a multi-faceted approach centered on proactive communication, improved working conditions and remuneration, and consistent government action on signed agreements.
Low salaries and poor welfare packages are primary drivers of strikes and brain drain. Making pay and benefits competitive and providing incentives for difficult postings can significantly boost retention and satisfaction.
Addressing poor infrastructure, inadequate equipment, unsafe work hours, and high workloads improves job satisfaction and patient safety.
The failure to honor memorandums of understanding and collective bargaining agreements is a major cause for recurring strikes. Timely and transparent implementation of agreed-upon terms is crucial for building trust. Establishing permanent mechanisms for dialogue and negotiation involving all stakeholders, government, unions, and regulatory bodies to address grievances before they escalate is imperative. Both the government and doctor representatives should employ trained and skilled negotiators to facilitate productive discussions and avoid unnecessary conflict.
Employers of labour should avoid punitive measures against striking workers, such as threats of unjustifiable disciplinary action or “no work, no pay” policies, which often aggravate the situation rather than promoting resolution.
Ultimately, an effective long-term approach must focus on addressing the immediate and remote causes that drive doctors to strike or emigrate, creating an environment where they feel respected, valued, and able to provide quality care.
Likewise in Benue State, the best way of ending the strike by Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) doctors is through constructive engagement and negotiation between the striking doctors’ union, the hospital management, and the Benue State Government. This will address and resolve the doctors’ demands, which typically involve welfare, payment of arrears, and improved working conditions. In previous instances, the strike was suspended following the direct intervention of the Benue State Governor, who approved and ensured the immediate payment of owed entitlements, such as salaries and the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). This demonstrates that prompt action by the state government is a decisive factor.
Continuous engagement and dialogue between the doctors’ representatives and government/hospital officials are essential to finding a lasting and amicable solution. Addressing and releasing all owed funds and arrears, including the MRTF and revised salary structure (CONMESS), is a key demand that, when met, would lead to the suspension of strikes. The doctors have previously cited poor living conditions and the need for renovation of their quarters as grievances. Addressing these infrastructure issues is part of the long-term solution.
In some cases, ensuring the safety of doctors and other health workers has been a concern, requiring assurances and action from management.
The government and hospital management can build trust by publicly publishing payment timelines and domesticating agreements to ensure future governments honor them.
In a nutshell, open communication and genuine commitment from all stakeholders to address the root causes of the grievances are crucial to achieving industrial harmony and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services at the hospital.
The positive impact of human health far outweigh every other sphere of life, hence the need to do everything humanly possible to forestall doctors’ strikes in the country. Preventing doctors’ strikes requires a multi-faceted approach centered on proactive communication, improved working conditions and remuneration, and consistent government action on signed agreements”
