The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned of a possible nationwide strike, accusing the federal government of failing to implement a month-old agreement on doctors’ welfare.
In an urgent statement titled “Urgent Appeal to Avert a Looming Nationwide NARD Strike (TICS 2.0),” NARD Secretary-General Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim said the association is on the verge of a total and indefinite strike.
The warning comes 31 days after the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding to address the doctors’ grievances. Ibrahim said the deadline has passed with no visible progress.
Resident doctors, who make up most of the workforce in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, have long complained of being overworked, underpaid, and demoralized.
The association said it had extended deadlines several times to avoid disrupting hospital services. “Resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes,” the statement said.
NARD is calling on senior medical leaders to push the Federal Ministry of Health to act immediately. A full strike would paralyze hospital services and affect millions of patients nationwide.
The threat comes amid a growing “brain drain,” with many Nigerian doctors leaving for better opportunities abroad.
