Resident Doctors began a five-day Nationwide warning strike.

The Nigerian healthcare sector has been plunged into fresh turmoil as the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) today began a five-day nationwide warning strike. The industrial action, which commenced at 8:00 a.m. this morning, follows the expiration of a final 24-hour ultimatum given to the Federal Government to meet the association’s long-standing demands.

In a statement signed by the NARD Secretary-General, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku, the association expressed deep disappointment over what it described as the government’s inaction and insensitivity to the welfare of its members. The doctors’ demands are centered on several critical issues, most notably the non-disbursement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and the failure to pay five months of arrears from the newly revised salary structure.

The strike is anticipated to have a severe impact on public healthcare delivery across the country, as resident doctors form the backbone of clinical services in many federal and state hospitals. Patients seeking medical attention are likely to be left stranded as a result of the industrial action.

The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Bala Audu, has publicly expressed concern over the government’s handling of the situation. Audu accused the Federal Ministry of Finance of being the primary obstacle, stating that the ministry had failed to release the necessary funds to pay the doctors, even after the Ministry of Health had fulfilled its obligations. This continued neglect, according to the NMA president, threatens to worsen instability in the nation’s health system.