The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve outstanding demands, including the payment of salary arrears and welfare issues. The association’s warning comes after months of frustration over unpaid increments and poor working conditions.
The demands were clearly stated in a communiqué signed by NARD President Dr. Osundara Tope and Secretary-General Dr. Odunbaku Kazeem Oluwasola, following the association’s May Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) and Scientific Conference.
At the heart of the dispute is the failure of the government to pay arrears owed from the 25% to 35% upward revision of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). The doctors are also calling for the full implementation of adjustments to the 2019 and 2024 minimum wage on both salaries and allowances, including back payments owed to them.
The communiqué reads, “We demand immediate payment of the arrears of the 25/35% upwardly revised CONMESS, and other salary arrears. We also demand full implementation of consequential adjustments to the 2019 and 2024 minimum wage on basic salaries and allowances, along with accrued arrears.”
Additionally, NARD has asked for the inclusion of resident doctors in the payment of specialist allowances. The association also called for the regularization of locum doctors—temporary doctors often hired to fill short-term gaps—and highlighted urgent welfare concerns at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC).
NARD gave its National Officers’ Committee four weeks to continue talks with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, after which the National Executive Council (NEC) will reassess the situation and decide on the next steps.
The association expressed deep disappointment over the government’s failure to pay the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance arrears and other outstanding salaries. They warned that the delay in addressing these issues affects the morale of doctors and could worsen the already high rate of brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector.
Despite these challenges, NARD praised some state governments for their efforts to improve doctors’ welfare. The governors of Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia, Benue, Kwara, Delta, and Enugu states were commended for implementing initiatives to support healthcare workers, a move NARD hopes the federal government will emulate.
Resident doctors are crucial to Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, providing essential services in hospitals across the country. Their current grievances highlight long-standing funding and welfare challenges that many Nigerian health workers face.
The ultimatum by NARD adds pressure on the Federal Government to resolve these issues quickly to avoid a possible strike or other forms of industrial action. In recent years, strikes by resident doctors have significantly disrupted healthcare services, leaving millions of Nigerians without access to proper medical care.
The government now faces a critical test in addressing these demands to ensure industrial peace and improve healthcare delivery nationwide. If the next four weeks pass without progress, the association’s next move could intensify the crisis in the health sector.
