Nationwide Health Crisis Looms as Nigerian Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Under Tinubu’s Administration

Nationwide Health Crisis Looms as Nigerian Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Under Tinubu’s Administration

Abuja, Nigeria — October 31, 2025

Nigeria’s public healthcare system faces one of its most severe tests in recent years as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike effective Friday, November 1, 2025, citing government failure to fulfill previous agreements on doctors’ welfare, remuneration, and working conditions.

The declaration, made by Dr. Muhammad Usman Suleiman, President of NARD, follows an emergency general meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday evening. Speaking to journalists on Friday, Suleiman accused the Federal Government of neglecting the welfare of frontline medical personnel who have continued to serve despite harsh working conditions and years of unfulfilled promises.

“We can no longer continue to work under these unbearable and demoralizing conditions,” Dr. Suleiman said. “Many of our members have not received their hazard allowances, salary arrears remain unpaid, and hospitals across the country are operating without basic medical supplies. This situation is unacceptable.”

According to NARD, the decision to embark on an indefinite strike became inevitable after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies. The doctors accuse the government of showing a “lukewarm and dismissive attitude” toward the numerous appeals and warning notices issued earlier in the year.

The reaidence doctors who made their demands auch as :

1.Full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and its long-overdue upward review.

2. Immediate payment of salary arrears, hazard allowances, and unpaid entitlements.

3. Adequate funding and equipment for public hospitals across federal and state institutions.

4. Release of funds for residency training, alongside improved welfare packages for medical personnel.

5. Urgent government intervention in the mass exodus of doctors—a worsening “brain drain” that has seen thousands of Nigerian physicians migrate abroad in search of better opportunities.

Dr. Suleiman emphasized that the association had shown restraint and patriotism in the face of repeated government neglect, noting that many resident doctors are overworked, underpaid, and exposed to unsafe working environments.

“It is disheartening that in 2025, Nigerian doctors are still being owed months of salaries while working in facilities without electricity, running water, or essential medications,” he lamented. “We have shown enough patience, and our members can no longer endure these conditions.”

Resident doctors make up a significant percentage of Nigeria’s hospital workforce, forming the backbone of medical service delivery in public health institutions. Their withdrawal from duty is expected to cripple medical operations nationwide, particularly in federal and teaching hospitals that depend heavily on them for day-to-day patient care.

From emergency wards to outpatient clinics, the strike is projected to disrupt critical health services and leave thousands of patients stranded. Already, reports from several states indicate that many hospitals have begun scaling down operations in anticipation of the strike.

Health analysts warn that the situation could quickly escalate into a national health emergency if not urgently addressed. The strike threatens to compound Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system, which has struggled for years with inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and shortages of skilled personnel.

This latest industrial action is far from new. NARD has repeatedly clashed with successive governments over unfulfilled agreements dating back more than a decade. Strikes by doctors have become an almost annual occurrence in Nigeria, reflecting deep-rooted structural challenges and government inertia in addressing systemic failures in the sector.

Despite Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest economy, it spends less than 5% of its annual budget on health, far below the 15% target set by the 2001 Abuja Declaration. Many public hospitals lack essential diagnostic equipment, medicines, and power supply, while healthcare workers continue to battle low morale and mass emigration.

Data from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) reveal that more than 15,000 Nigerian-trained doctors now work abroad, with many more actively seeking relocation to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

As of press time, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Presidential Office had yet to issue an official response to the NARD declaration. However, sources within the ministry suggested that efforts were underway to open fresh dialogue with the doctors’ union to avert a prolonged shutdown of the health sector.

Observers say the crisis presents a major test for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has promised to prioritize healthcare reform as part of its “Renewed Hope” agenda.

But for now, uncertainty looms. Across Nigeria’s hospitals, anxious patients and their families brace for what could become a prolonged period of suffering — unless urgent action is taken to bring both sides back to the negotiation table.

The announcement has triggered widespread concern among citizens, civil society groups, and international health organizations. Advocacy groups are urging the government to act swiftly to avert what could become a public health catastrophe.

“This strike is not just about doctors — it’s about the right of every Nigerian to access quality healthcare,” said a spokesperson for the Health Reform Advocates Network, calling on the government to fulfill its commitments and restore trust in the medical system.

As the clock ticks toward November 1, hospitals across the country prepare for dark days ahead — and Nigerians are once again left to bear the brunt of a crisis that has become all too familiar.