Resident doctors under the umbrella of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have announced plans to resume a total and indefinite nationwide strike beginning Monday, January 12, 2026.
This decision follows the expiration of several ultimatums and what the association describes as the Federal Government’s total failure to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in late 2025.
Announcement of the planned industrial action was made in a statement issued on Saturday by NARD President, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, after an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on January 2.
Tagged “TICS 2.0” — Total, Indefinite, and Complete Strike — the action is scheduled to commence at exactly 12:00 a.m. on January 12.
Under a “No Implementation, No Going Back” policy, the association insists the strike will only be suspended when all welfare demands are fully met.
According to NARD, resident doctors make up a significant portion of the medical workforce in Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare institutions, raising concerns over widespread disruption to hospital services nationwide.
The association said its core grievances include the non-payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, failure to fully implement the revised professional allowance table and pay accumulated arrears, and the continued dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
Other unresolved issues cited by NARD include persistent salary delays affecting house officers as well as the lack of official clarification and resolution of entry-level skipping concerns within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
In addition to withdrawing services, NARD has directed all 91 training centers across the country to hold congress meetings and media briefings within the next seven days to sensitize the public on the reasons for the strike.
A series of coordinated demonstrations has also been announced, with center-based protests scheduled to hold at federal and state teaching hospitals between January 12 and 16, followed by regional and national protests to be coordinated by the National Officers Committee after January 16.
NARD recalled that it suspended a 29-day nationwide strike on November 29, 2025, after the Federal Government pledged to address its demands within four weeks, a commitment the association says has been neglected or only partially fulfilled.
“The responsibility to avert another nationwide doctors’ strike lies with government action, not doctors’ patience,” Dr. Suleiman said.
He added that the one-week notice period before the strike is meant to provide the government with a final opportunity to act and to formally notify hospital managements.
