Doctors Down Tools, Begin Nationwide Indefinite Strike After Talks With FG Collapsed
Nigeria’s healthcare system has been thrown into turmoil as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) commenced an indefinite nationwide strike following the breakdown of talks with the Federal Government.
The strike, which began on Saturday, November 1, 2025, comes after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued to the government to meet the doctors’ long-standing demands.
In a statement announcing the industrial action, NARD said it had been left with no choice after what it described as the government’s “persistent neglect” of the health sector and failure to implement previous agreements.
The doctors vowed that the strike would be total, comprehensive, and indefinite until there was genuine commitment from the authorities to address their grievances.
Among their major demands are the payment of salary arrears, improvement of working conditions, replacement of exited staff in hospitals, and implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance.
The association also lamented the worsening state of facilities in public hospitals, chronic underfunding, and the mass exodus of medical professionals seeking better opportunities abroad — a trend that has deepened the crisis in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“Our members are overstretched, underpaid, and undervalued,” NARD said in its statement. “We have tried dialogue repeatedly, but the government continues to take our patience for granted. We cannot continue to work under such deplorable conditions.”
The government had earlier appealed to the doctors to shelve the strike and return to the negotiation table, citing the potential impact on patients nationwide.
However, talks held over the past week reportedly ended without any concrete resolution, prompting the association to proceed with its industrial action.
Hospitals across the country — particularly teaching hospitals and tertiary health institutions — are already beginning to feel the effects of the strike, with outpatient clinics shut and emergency services scaled down. Many patients who depend on public hospitals for treatment have been left stranded, while health administrators scramble to manage the situation with skeletal staff.
The strike has also reignited public debate about Nigeria’s worsening brain drain and the government’s handling of the health sector. Analysts warn that prolonged industrial action could have grave consequences for patient care and training of young doctors.
This latest strike adds to a long history of disputes between the Federal Government and resident doctors over welfare, funding, and working conditions. Despite several promises and signed agreements in the past, many of the issues have remained unresolved, fueling repeated industrial unrest.
As the strike enters its first days, both the government and the doctors’ union appear to be holding firm to their positions. While the Ministry of Health says it remains open to dialogue, NARD insists it will not suspend the strike until tangible progress is made.
For now, patients across Nigeria are bearing the brunt of yet another breakdown in negotiations — a stark reminder of the fragile state of the nation’s healthcare system.
