NARD seeks Tinubu’s personal intervention to avert indefinite strike over unpaid ₦38b debt, other demands
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally intervene and avert a looming indefinite nationwide strike scheduled to begin on November 1, warning that government inaction and misrepresentation by officials have worsened the plight of doctors across the country.
NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said many of those briefing the President on the state of negotiations were not being truthful about the real situation, despite the suffering Nigerians would face if the strike proceeds.
He said doctors have endured years of neglect, unpaid arrears, and poor working conditions that have forced many to seek better opportunities abroad.
He said Nigeria now has fewer than 11,000 resident doctors, down from over 20,000 a decade ago, while warning that the government’s continued indifference is driving the country toward a medical workforce crisis.
Appealing to the President on Monday in Abuja at a press briefing, Suleiman said, “Mr. President, you are surrounded by people who present themselves as professionals, but many of them are politicians with personal ambitions. They come to you and say, ‘Leave these resident doctors; we’ve settled their problems.’ But the truth is, our issues have not been resolved.
“You are presiding over a nation where doctors have not been treated fairly, even before your administration. Yet, these same people come to you claiming everything is fine. They are not telling you the truth. Don’t take only my word for it—call other unions, ask questions, and check the records. The facts are there.
“I can tell you in good conscience that some of them are already planning dubious actions to discredit us when our strike begins. But who are we really? We are not enemies of the government. We are doctors who simply want to return to our hospitals, wards, and clinics to care for our patients.
“All we are asking for is the bare minimum, our legitimate salaries, allowances, and entitlements. These are not new demands. They are agreements that have already been reached but not honoured.
“Mr. President, while those in high offices continue to receive their full salaries and allowances, it is those of us working on the frontlines who are left unpaid.
“I appeal to you, as the father of the nation, to intervene and resolve this crisis once and for all.”
Despite his appeal, he confirmed that NARD members would embark on the indefinite strike if their long-standing grievances remain unaddressed, which include owing between ₦35 billion and ₦38 billion in unpaid allowances and warned that the health system could face severe disruption if urgent action is not taken.
According to him, the decision to strike was reached during an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held virtually on Saturday.
“We are talking about arrears owed for 18 months, seven months, four months, and in some cases, over ten years. For all health workers, not just doctors, the outstanding is about ₦35 to ₦38 billion,” he said.
He lamented that while political appointees and senior officials are never owed salaries or entitlements, frontline health workers remain unpaid for months.
“No minister, senator, or permanent secretary is owed such arrears, but essential workers are. These are the conditions under which Nigerian doctors live,” he said.
The NARD president also condemned the government’s failure to review doctors’ basic salaries for over 16 years and the stagnation of career advancement for resident doctors.
“There are doctors who have worked for ten years as locum officers without absorption into the civil service. Others pass promotional exams and remain on the same level for a year or more,” he noted.
Suleiman said NARD had shown restraint for nearly three years, extending multiple ultimatums and engaging in dialogue, but the government’s inaction had left them with no choice.
He, however, said the association remained open to dialogue if genuine commitment is shown, stressing, “If they reinstate our members who were unjustly dismissed, clear some of these arrears, restore the value of our membership certificates, ensure prompt payment of house officers, and show seriousness in concluding the collective bargaining agreement, it will send a strong signal of goodwill”.
He also called for urgent correction of downgraded entry levels for doctors in the civil service and decentralization of the upgrading process to ensure timely promotion for those who pass their professional exams.
“These are not just monetary issues, they are policy matters that affect morale and productivity across the system,” he noted, adding that NARD has directed members to properly hand over patients to consultants before the strike begins to minimize disruptions.
The association also condemned what it described as the casualization of doctors through locum employment.
“We are doctors. We care deeply for our patients. But no one can give what they don’t have. A demoralized and overworked doctor is a danger to patients,” Dr. Suleiman warned.
