The nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which had stretched for 29 days and severely disrupted medical services across the country, has been suspended following the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the association and the federal government.
The strike, which began on November 1, was rooted in a long-standing build-up of grievances over unpaid arrears, withheld allowances, stalled promotions, poor working conditions, and delays in the processing of essential professional certifications. During an extraordinary meeting of the National Executive Council, NARD reviewed the agreement reached with government negotiators and resolved to temporarily halt the industrial action as a gesture of goodwill.
According to the leadership of the association, the government has been given a strict four-week window to fully implement all outstanding areas of the agreement. These include the compilation and payment of salary arrears arising from the previous remuneration review, the settlement of accoutrement and hazard allowances, the clearance of promotion backlogs, and improvements in manpower shortages and critical hospital infrastructure.
Throughout the strike period, tertiary and specialist hospitals across Nigeria faced intense strain. Elective surgeries were cancelled, emergency departments operated below capacity, and thousands of patients were left stranded, forced to seek expensive alternatives or postpone crucial treatment. Many facilities were reduced to skeletal operations as consultants and house officers struggled to fill the vacuum left by striking resident doctors.
With the latest suspension, hospitals are now beginning the process of stabilising their operations. However, NARD has made it clear that this is not an end to the dispute but a conditional pause. The leadership emphasised that while the agreement captures some progress, several key items are still pending, and the association will not hesitate to resume industrial action if the government fails to honour its commitments within the agreed timeframe.
Health-sector observers note that the coming weeks will be a crucial test for the federal government’s credibility in managing labour relations within the medical sector. If the promised reforms and payments are executed promptly, it could mark a turning point in resolving the chronic welfare and infrastructural problems that have plagued the nation’s hospitals for years. But if there is any sign of delay or reversal, Nigeria risks plunging once again into another round of service disruptions — a scenario that would further strain an already fragile health system.
For now, the suspension of the strike offers relief to patients and healthcare workers, but the shadow of uncertainty remains. All eyes will be on whether the government can convert the promises of the MoU into tangible action before the four-week deadline elapses.
