Resident doctors across Nigeria have declared a total and indefinite strike from midnight on Tuesday, 7 April, escalating a pay dispute that threatens to further strain the country’s healthcare system.
The action was announced by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) following an extraordinary virtual meeting of its National Executive Council held on 4 April.
NARD accused the Federal Government of triggering an avoidable industrial crisis through its decision to discontinue the Professional Allowance Table (PAT), a core component of doctors’ remuneration.
It described the policy shift as unjustifiable, arguing that it undermines doctors’ welfare and destabilises an already fragile health sector.
After what it said were exhaustive deliberations, the association resolved to withdraw services nationwide until its demands are addressed.
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Central to the dispute is the removal of the PAT as the doctors are calling for its immediate reinstatement, alongside the settlement of outstanding financial obligations.
The outstanding financial obligations include unpaid promotion and salary arrears across several centres, the completion of payments under the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund, and the clearance of 19 months of unpaid professional allowance arrears.
In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, NARD urged members to remain united and firm.
Ibrahim maintained that the strike was necessary to confront what he characterised as persistent inequities in the treatment of resident doctors.