The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has agreed to suspend its planned nationwide strike following a high-level meeting with top Federal Government officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The breakthrough came after a nearly three-hour meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with representatives of NARD and key government officials, including the Ministers of Labour, Health, Finance, the Director-General of the Budget Office, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and officials overseeing cash management and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said most of the association’s demands had been resolved, revealing that both parties agreed on clear timelines for implementing outstanding salary, promotion and welfare issues that had pushed resident doctors to the verge of industrial action.
“Today, I can tell you, our matters are solved,” Suleiman said.
He praised Gbajabiamila for consistently intervening whenever disputes involving resident doctors arise, noting that previous interventions by the Chief of Staff had always produced positive results.
“This is not the first time the Chief of Staff has intervened in matters relating to resident doctors. Whenever he came into our issues, our matters were solved,” he stated.
According to Suleiman, government agencies have now agreed on timelines to resolve issues relating to salary adjustments, promotions and the long-standing meal allowance dispute affecting doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
He also disclosed that the Federal Government issued a standing directive to ensure that house officers no longer experience delays in receiving their salaries.
“He has given a standing order that before the 10th of every month, salaries of house officers must be paid,” Suleiman revealed.
On the pending Collective Bargaining Agreement between NARD and the Federal Government, the NARD president said the Presidency had directed the Ministries of Labour and Health to fast-track negotiations so that the agreed terms could be included in the 2027 budget for implementation.
He described the discussions with government officials as productive and constructive.
“The conversations have been very, very robust,” he added.
The association also raised concerns over the increasing attacks on healthcare workers across the country, revealing that 31 doctors and more than 20 other health workers had been assaulted within the last 10 months.
Suleiman said the Ministry of Health had agreed to issue directives to hospitals to strengthen security and create safer working environments while also launching public awareness campaigns against violence toward health workers.
He further disclosed that Gbajabiamila had promised to champion legislation that would make assaults on health workers a more serious criminal offence.
“The Chief of Staff has taken it upon himself to introduce legislation so that the National Assembly can come in with something that will make assault on health workers an aggravated offence. We are very glad with that,” he said.
Addressing the issue of unpaid hazard and specialist allowance arrears, Suleiman explained that the dispute dates back about seven years when resident doctors received only 40 percent of their entitlements.
Although the Tinubu administration corrected the payment structure earlier this year, he said a 19-month backlog dating back to July 2024 remains outstanding.
Despite the progress recorded, Suleiman said he could not officially announce the cancellation of the planned strike because the decision rests with the association’s National Executive Council (NEC).
“I can’t stand here and tell you I have called off a strike. I have to report all of this back. We sit down. We take a decision,” he said.
He, however, expressed confidence that the Presidency’s intervention had gone a long way in addressing the doctors’ concerns and could avert the industrial action earlier scheduled to begin on August 10.
