Nigeria Health Strike Fears Grow as Civic Group Accuses Resident Doctors’ Leaders of Political Motives

Concerns are mounting over Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system following renewed threats of industrial action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), just weeks after the group suspended a month-long strike, prompting warnings that patients could once again bear the brunt of labour unrest.

In an open letter released on Monday, a civic group, the Concerned Citizens of Nigeria (CCN), accused NARD’s leadership of pursuing a “militant” agenda despite what it described as significant concessions already made by the federal government. The group said the proposed strike risked grounding public hospitals nationwide and jeopardising the lives of millions of Nigerians who depend on public healthcare.

NARD had only recently called off a 29-day strike that began on 1 November 2025 after signing a memorandum of understanding with the federal government. However, the CCN said it was “distressed” that the association was again threatening industrial action at the start of the new year, warning that the timing raised questions about its motives. The group also claimed that NARD was not a registered labour union and that previous engagements by the government had been undertaken as a matter of courtesy rather than legal obligation.

The resident doctors’ association has tabled 18 demands, including payment of arrears under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), reinstatement of disengaged doctors, review of working hours, payment of allowances, improved hospital infrastructure, resolution of manpower shortages, and changes to pension and consultancy policies. Other demands include the completion of a collective bargaining agreement, reinstatement of house officers into the scheme of service, and payment of outstanding arrears in several federal teaching hospitals.

However, the CCN asserted that about 70% of these demands had already been met. According to the group, the federal government has paid seven months’ arrears of CONMESS, settled the 2024 accoutrement allowance for medical officers, and disbursed more than ₦10bn through the Medical Residency Training Fund over the past three months. It also cited the approval of over 23,000 recruitment waivers for health professionals and the extension of the retirement age for skilled clinical staff from 60 to 65 years as evidence of efforts to address manpower shortages.

The group added that a joint committee involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Medical Association and resident doctors was being constituted to address concerns over prolonged working hours, while promotion arrears were reportedly being processed by the Ministry of Finance following submissions from the health ministry. Some of NARD’s demands, it said, were “establishment issues” that would require time and due process to resolve.

Beyond the labour dispute, the CCN raised political concerns, alleging that some members of NARD’s leadership were linked to political interests within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and may be leveraging the strike threat as the election season approaches. While urging the government to continue investing in healthcare infrastructure and manpower, the group called on resident doctors to suspend their planned action and warned that ordinary Nigerians—particularly those unable to seek treatment abroad—would suffer most from another shutdown of public hospitals.

The CCN also urged the federal government to intensify negotiations to avert the strike but said it should consider enforcing a “no work, no pay” policy if the action proceeds. “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” the group said, warning that Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens would once again pay the price for a prolonged standoff.