Nigeria: Resident Doctors Suspend Planned Strike, Issue 2-Week Ultimatum to Federal Government

7 April 2026
Leadership (Abuja)
By Patience Ivie Ihejirika

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its planned indefinite strike action following high-level interventions from top government officials, including the Vice President Kashim Shettima and several key ministers.

NARD's National Executive Council (NEC) reached the decision during an emergency virtual meeting held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, where it reviewed recent developments and the government's response to its demands.

LEADERSHIP report that the association had planned a nationwide strike starting 12am on Tuesday, April 7, following the federal government's decision to reverse the implementation of the reviewed Professional Allowance Table (PAT).

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, NARD said it adopted a position of "cautious optimism" following the federal government's reversal of the implementation of the reviewed Professional Allowance Table (PAT) and other assurances aimed at addressing long-standing welfare concerns of resident doctors nationwide.

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The association acknowledged interventions by the Vice President, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Coordinating Minister of Finance, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). It noted that these engagements signalled a willingness to resolve the disputes affecting the health sector.

However, NARD expressed concern that several critical issues remained unresolved, including delayed payment of promotion arrears, salary arrears in affected institutions, the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and 19 months of outstanding arrears of the Professional Allowance.

NARD reiterated its key demands, which include immediate reversal of the decision to halt the implementation of the reviewed PAT, immediate payment of all outstanding promotion and salary arrears, prompt conclusion and disbursement of the 2026 MRTF

full payment of the outstanding 19-month arrears of the Professional Allowance.

To this end, the association has issued the federal government a two-week ultimatum to address the listed issues, warning that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would result in the resumption of the suspended indefinite strike.

"The NEC shall reconvene immediately upon expiration of the ultimatum to review the level of compliance and determine further actions in the best interest of its members," the communiqué read.

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