The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0) from 12 January, citing the federal government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the association.
NARD in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its president, Mohammad Suleiman, said the decision was taken at an Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on Friday,
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Mr Suleiman also confirmed the development in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, stating that all information shared on his X account was accurate.
The planned strike, tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back,” is expected to commence at 12:00 a.m. on 12 January unless the government meets the association’s outstanding demands.
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Protests across hospitals
Alongside the renewed strike, the association announced plans for nationwide protests to highlight unresolved welfare concerns affecting resident doctors.
According to the statement, centre-based demonstrations will be held in hospitals across the country from 12 to 16 January.
These will be followed by regional protests coordinated by caucus leaders, as well as a national protest to be organised by NARD’s National Officers’ Committee.
As part of the mobilisation, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and subsequently brief the media.
NARD said the objective is to hold 91 press conferences across the country within seven days to draw public attention to doctors’ welfare issues.
Background to the dispute
NARD had suspended its previous indefinite strike on 29 November, 2025, after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government.
Under the MoU, the government committed to meeting the association’s demands within four weeks.
However, NARD said repeated deadlines for implementation have been ignored by both the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the federal government.
Last week, the association warned that medical services across the country could again be disrupted if the agreements remained unfulfilled.
Conditions for suspending the strike
The association said the planned strike would only be suspended after the full implementation of its minimum demands.
These include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.
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Other demands include official clarification by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on skipping and entry-level placement issues; the reintroduction and implementation of the specialist allowance; and the resolution of salary delays and arrears affecting house officers.
NARD is also demanding the issuance of a pay advisory, the re-categorisation and release of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the establishment of locum and work-hours regulation committees, and the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
Notice period
The association explained that the one-week notice before the resumption of the strike is intended to allow for congress meetings, media engagements and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the State Security Services, the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements.
“The National Officers’ Committee appreciates members’ patience and resilience and assures them of full commitment to the resolutions reached,” the association said, adding that engagements with relevant authorities would be intensified in the coming days.
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