Nigerian Public Doctors Begin Five-Day Strike Over Unpaid Allowances and Welfare Concerns
Nigerian public doctors commenced a nationwide five-day strike on Friday, September 12, 2025, disrupting medical services across major federal hospitals. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), representing approximately 15,000 specialist trainee doctors crucial to the country’s healthcare delivery, announced the strike as a last resort after repeated failed demands for overdue payments and welfare improvements.
The strike action, scheduled to last until Tuesday, September 16, stems primarily from the federal government’s failure to disburse the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), as well as outstanding salary arrears linked to the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). In addition, the doctors seek payments of specialist allowances, accoutrement allowances for 2024, and the restoration of postgraduate certificate recognitions that affect their professional qualifications and career progression.
NARD President Dr. Tope Osundara explained the severity of the situation: “Our members have been patient, but the continued neglect of outstanding wages and welfare concerns leaves us with no option but to embark on this strike. The lack of government response endangers health services and demoralizes frontline workers.”
The strike followed multiple deadlines issued by doctors starting from July 2025, including a three-week ultimatum and subsequent extensions which the government failed to heed. On September 10, the last deadline expired, triggering the declaration of the strike announced after an Emergency National Executive Council meeting.
Consequently, federal hospitals such as the National Hospital Abuja, University College Hospital Ibadan, and Federal Medical Centre, among others, are grappling with acute shortages of manpower, particularly in emergency and specialized wards. Patients requiring surgery or specialist consultations face postponements, exacerbating public health risks.
Healthcare experts caution that such industrial action highlights systemic underinvestment and management challenges in Nigeria’s health sector. Professor Aisha Bello, a public health specialist, warns, “Chronic underfunding and poor remuneration of medical professionals have fueled recurrent strikes. Sustainable solutions require adequate funding and transparent welfare management to retain critical staff and prevent service disruptions.”
Eyewitness accounts from hospital patients reveal frustrations over the strike’s impact. A caregiver in Abuja shared, “My father needed urgent care, but staff shortages meant long waits and limited attention. It is heartbreaking for patients caught in this dispute.”
The government has yet to make a public response but faces growing pressure to engage with the doctors constructively. The Ministry of Health reportedly plans negotiations to resolve outstanding issues and curtail the strike’s adverse effects.
In summary, this strike underscores ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s healthcare system between public servants and the federal government over fair compensation and working conditions. As the five-day industrial action unfolds, the next steps involve urgent dialogues aiming to fast-track payments and restore hospital services. Failure to reach agreements may extend the strike, further affecting Nigeria’s fragile healthcare delivery.
