Photo File: A Photo illustration of Medical Doctors

Resident doctors under the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have suspended their indefinite strike action and are set to return to work on Monday, September 22, 2025, by 8 a.m.

The announcement was made by the chapter president, Dr. George Ebong, during a media briefing. According to him, the suspension came after the intervention of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters.

Dr. Ebong clarified that although the strike has been suspended, none of the demands put forward by the association have been met as of yet. However, the doctors were given assurances by the Senate committee that a meeting with the FCT Minister would soon be convened to deliberate on and address the outstanding issues.

The FCT chapter had embarked on the indefinite strike last week, citing unresolved grievances including unpaid salary arrears dating back to 2023, unexplained deductions from allowances, and failure to promote qualified resident doctors who have completed their specialist training but are still being paid as medical officers.

NARD’s Demands

Resident doctors are medical school graduates training as specialists. They dominate the emergency wards of hospitals in Nigeria and are crucial to quality health care delivery nationwide.

In an earlier statement issued on September 1, 2025, NARD demanded immediate payment of the outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, settlement of five months’ arrears from the 25–35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, and other long-standing salary backlogs demands.

Others are the payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears, prompt disbursement of specialist allowances, and restoration of the recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates.

They also called on the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to issue membership certificates to all deserving candidates, implement the 2024 CONMESS, resolve outstanding welfare issues in Kaduna State, and address the plight of resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.