The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced an indefinite nationwide strike effective Friday, November 1, 2025, plunging Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system into uncertainty.
The decision, announced after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, follows what the doctors described as the federal government’s persistent failure to address long-standing demands concerning welfare, poor working conditions, and unpaid allowances.
In a statement signed by NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, the association lamented that despite several warnings and ultimata, the government had shown “no meaningful commitment to improving the plight of doctors across public hospitals.”
“We can no longer continue to work under conditions that endanger both healthcare workers and patients. Effective November 1, all resident doctors across federal and state institutions are hereby directed to down tools until our demands are fully met,” the statement read.
The strike is expected to paralyze medical services nationwide, as resident doctors constitute a significant portion of Nigeria’s hospital workforce.
Among their key demands are the immediate payment of salary arrears, increase in hazard allowance, replacement of exited doctors, and implementation of the new residency training funding.
Health experts have warned that the strike could lead to severe disruption of critical medical services, especially in tertiary hospitals, if not urgently resolved.
The Federal Ministry of Health is yet to issue an official response, but sources suggest an emergency meeting with NARD executives may be convened before the deadline in an attempt to avert the looming shutdown.