NARD strike suspended as resident doctors end 29-day nationwide action after signing MoU with Federal Government on key demands

The NARD strike suspended has brought an end to 29 days of nationwide disruption in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced on Saturday.

Also read: NARD reviews 30-day ultimatum over unmet demand

The month-long industrial action, which began on November 1, 2025, saw about 11,000 resident doctors across 91 federal and state teaching hospitals withdraw services, severely affecting patient care.

Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, NARD’s Secretary-General, confirmed that the suspension followed an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government. The agreement addresses seven conditions laid out by the association.

According to Dr Ibrahim, two of the seven demands, including the release of the Professional Allowance Table and approval for doctors’ entry level at CONMESS 3, have already been implemented.

The remaining five, covering issues such as the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, arrears payment, eligible doctor upgrades, specialist allowance, and Membership Certificate matters, are expected to be fulfilled within four weeks.

“The strike was suspended after we signed the MoU with the Federal Government outlining the seven conditions we required. Two have been met, and the others are to be completed within the next four weeks,” Dr Ibrahim stated.

He cautioned, however, that the association would not hesitate to resume industrial action should the government fail to meet the outstanding commitments within the agreed timeframe.

“If the remaining demands are not met before the deadline, we will go back on strike,” he warned.

Also read: Resident Doctors Declare Indefinite Nationwide Strike

The suspension marks a temporary relief for Nigeria’s hospitals, which faced immense pressure during the prolonged industrial action, with patients and healthcare facilities struggling to cope with the shortage of resident doctors.