Resident Doctors resume work, issue April 21 deadline to FG over unmet demands
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its indefinite nationwide strike, directing members to return to work from 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
NARD President, Mohammad Usman Suleiman, disclosed that the decision followed a meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC), where members resolved to give the federal government more time to address their concerns.
He explained that the suspension was based on assurances from the federal government to reverse its decision to halt the implementation of the revised Professional Allowance Table (PAT) from April 2026.
However, the association has issued a firm ultimatum of April 21, warning that failure to meet its demands by that date would lead to a fresh nationwide strike.
The doctors had earlier embarked on an indefinite strike over the government’s plan to discontinue the revised PAT—an agreement reached after a prolonged industrial action in 2025.
The revised allowance structure includes improved remuneration such as call duty allowances, shift payments, rural posting incentives, and compensation for non-clinical duties.
Although implementation was initially scheduled for January 2026 and later moved to February, NARD accused the government of planning to stop the process entirely by April, describing the move as a breach of trust and violation of prior agreements.
Beyond the PAT, the association is also demanding the immediate payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears in some centres, as well as the timely disbursement of the 2026 medical residency training fund.
