19-Point Ultimatum as Resident Doctors Threaten Strike

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has unveiled a 19-point list of “minimum expectations” it says the Federal Government must meet to avert a total, indefinite nationwide strike set to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Addressing journalists in Abuja after an Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, NARD President Dr. Muhammad Suleiman said the association’s 30-day ultimatum had lapsed without “meaningful action,” adding that doctors have already commenced ward rounds and patient handovers in anticipation of the industrial action.

Arrears and welfare at the core

Suleiman noted that unresolved payments and welfare concerns affect not only resident doctors but other categories of health workers, including administrative staff. 

He estimated that government owes medical personnel about ₦38bn in accumulated allowances, with some arrears stretching “two years, 18 months, seven months, four months, and even up to 10 years.” He also decried the failure to review doctors’ basic salaries in 16 years.

The 19 “minimum” demands

NARD’s resolutions frame the 19 items as the least the government must deliver to prevent a breakdown in service delivery across public hospitals. Key items include:

• Immediate payment of outstanding 25–35% CONMESS arrears, 2024 accoutrement allowance, and other pending financial entitlements to doctors and health workers.
  
• Reinstatement of five resident doctors “unjustly terminated” at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, with full payment of all arrears.
  
• A humane working-hours policy aligned with international best practices to protect physician well-being and patient safety.
  
• Greater autonomy for hospital chief executives to hire replacements under a one-for-one policy, curbing workload and burnout.
  
• Urgent upgrades of infrastructure and medical equipment nationwide to improve training and care quality.
  
• Commencement of specialist allowance for all doctors; inclusion of medical and dental house officers in the civil service scheme with full entitlements; and correction of entry-level placements.
  
• Decentralised promotions, payment of promotion arrears, and expedited conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on the overdue CONMESS review and other allowances.
  
• Release and implementation of corrected professional-allowance tables and clear enforcement of relativity between CONMESS and CONHESS.
  
• Settlement of accrued promotion arrears for medical officers; reversal of creating consultant cadres for non-medical personnel; and an end to casualisation—regularising all locum staff per public service rules.
  
• Uniform implementation of all CONMESS circulars across federal, state, and private facilities, and clearance of outstanding salary arrears in several centres.
  
• Immediate implementation of special pension benefits earlier agreed with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).