The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said significant progress has been made in resolving the issues behind its proposed nationwide strike scheduled to begin on August 10.
Naijaonpoint reports that the association, however, said it had not formally suspended the industrial action, explaining that the outcome of its meeting with the Federal Government would first be presented to its National Executive Council for consideration.
NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this on Tuesday after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Suleiman said the discussions produced agreements on salary and promotion arrears, allowances, the welfare of house officers, workplace security and other concerns raised by resident doctors.
He said, “Today, I can tell you, our matters are solved.
“I can’t stand here and tell you I have called off a strike. What I’ll do, I have the utmost confidence that what he has done today has moved the needle to a very large extent to have solved our matters, and we’ll wait for more.”
The NARD president said he lacked the authority to unilaterally withdraw the strike notice, adding that members of the association’s executive council would review the agreements before taking a final decision.
“I have National Executive Council (NEC) members. I will have a conversation. I have to report all of this back. We sit down. We take a decision,” Suleiman stated.
He expressed confidence in Gbajabiamila’s intervention, noting that the presidential aide had previously helped to resolve disputes involving resident doctors.
He said, “The person that called us for this conversation has never failed resident doctors. That is what I am emphasising.
“This is not the first time the Chief of Staff has intervened in matters relating to resident doctors in this country. About six or seven years ago, when he became Speaker, it was the first opportunity he had to intervene, and he has always intervened.
“Whenever he came into our issues, our matters were solved.”
NARD had announced after its ordinary general meeting in Gombe that it would commence a nationwide strike on August 10 unless the government addressed its demands.
The association listed unpaid salary and allowance arrears and unresolved welfare concerns across federal health institutions among the reasons for the ultimatum.
Government Sets Implementation Deadlines
Suleiman said government agencies had committed to specific timelines for implementing the agreements reached during the meeting.
He disclosed that the welfare dispute at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, including meal-related entitlements, was expected to be resolved within one week.
He further stated, “Timelines have been agreed upon by various agencies of government on salary and promotion areas.
“We are talking about the meal issue at LUTH; we are talking about a week for implementation. We have agreed on a figure. We have agreed on numbers.”
The association’s president also said the government issued a standing directive to prevent continued delays in the payment of salaries to house officers.
Suleiman said, “We also talked about house officers, so that they don’t have to wait a whole month before they get the previous month’s salaries.
“In fact, he has given a standing order that before the 10th of every month, salaries of house officers must be paid.”
According to Suleiman, the Presidency directed the ministries of labour and health to accelerate negotiations on the doctors’ collective bargaining agreement.
He said the government wanted the financial implications of the agreement to be captured in the 2027 budget.
“The conversations have been very, very robust,” the NARD president added.
Suleiman, however, said a 19-month backlog arising from salary shortfalls between July 2024 and January 2026 remained unpaid.
He explained that although the Tinubu administration corrected the shortfall in February 2026, the outstanding arrears had yet to be settled.
Doctors Demand Protection From Assaults
The NARD leader said the association presented records showing that 31 doctors and more than 20 other health workers had been assaulted within the past 10 months.
He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health would direct hospitals to improve security and establish safe spaces for medical personnel.
He stated, “Today, we have agreed. The Ministry of Health is going to release directives to their hospitals to beef up security and create safe spaces.
“The Ministry of Health is going to engage the public in public education for health workers not to be assaulted.”
Suleiman added that Gbajabiamila promised to support legislation imposing tougher penalties on individuals who attack health workers.
He added, “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. We think it will send the right signal that health workers should not be assaulted.”
