The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has launched an indefinite nationwide strike effective Saturday, November 1, 2025, following what the group described as the Federal Government’s repeated failure to honor agreements reached after several rounds of negotiations.
The strike action, which had been announced a week earlier, came into effect after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued to the government to address the doctors’ grievances.
In a statement posted on the association’s social media platform on Saturday, NARD President Mohammad Suleiman explained that the decision to down tools was not taken lightly, but had become necessary due to government’s inability to implement promises made to the medical practitioners.
Suleiman acknowledged the disruption the strike would cause to healthcare delivery across the country, expressing regret for the pain and inconvenience patients would experience. However, he insisted that the action was essential to save Nigeria’s collapsing health system.
“We wish to address you at this critical time as we embark on a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike, a decision that did not come lightly, nor was it ever our desire. We are fully aware of the pains and inconveniences that accompany any disruption in healthcare services, and we deeply regret the situation,” the NARD president stated.
He emphasized that the doctors’ demands were neither selfish nor politically motivated, but were centered on ensuring the survival of the Nigerian healthcare system and the wellbeing of citizens who depend on it.
The association president argued that resident doctors could not provide optimal care to patients when they themselves were overworked, underpaid, and mentally exhausted. He stressed that the strike was aimed at creating a system that allows medical professionals to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care in an environment that supports their mental and physical wellbeing.
According to Suleiman, the key issues driving the strike include excessive workload, inadequate remuneration, non-payment of salary arrears, poor working conditions, insufficient staffing levels, and lack of essential medical infrastructure. He noted that all these factors directly impact the quality of healthcare delivered to Nigerians.
“A nation’s health system can only be as strong as the hands that sustain it. If the doctors are broken, under-motivated, or forced to seek survival abroad, the patients suffer most. This is why we have taken this painful stand to secure the future of Nigerian healthcare for every man, woman, and child who deserves quality care here at home,” the statement read.
The NARD leadership called on Nigerians, including patients, civil society organizations, labour unions, religious and traditional leaders, and citizens of conscience to support their cause and add their voices in appealing to the Federal Government to address the demands.
Suleiman framed the strike not as a confrontation between resident doctors and government, but as a struggle for a functional, just, and humane healthcare system where medical practitioners can attend to patients with clear minds, motivated spirits, and access to necessary tools for saving lives.
“This is not a fight between resident doctors and government; it is a struggle for a functional, just, and humane healthcare system, one where your doctor can attend to you with a clear mind, a motivated spirit, and access to the tools needed to save lives,” he said.
The association appealed to the public to pressure the government into urgently addressing their demands so that hospitals can reopen, doctors can return to their duty posts, and Nigerians can once again access the healthcare they deserve.
“Together, we can rebuild a system that values both the carer and the cared-for. We appeal to you to weigh in and urge the government to address our demands urgently so that hospitals can reopen, doctors can return to their duty posts, and Nigerians can once again access the care they deserve,” Suleiman concluded.
The strike is expected to significantly disrupt healthcare services across public hospitals in Nigeria, potentially affecting millions of patients who depend on these facilities for medical care.
