The federal government said yesterday that the ongoing standoff with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) was due to structural and policy issues rather than neglect.
A statement signed by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, quoted the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, to have said this during a programme on AIT yesterday.
In reaction, NARD dismissed any insinuation that its strike threat was politically motivated and that it was being tele-guided by opposition elements.
Salako said some of the outstanding demands of doctors were constrained by existing civil service rules and approved schemes of service.
He also revealed that, as a mark of its concern for the plight of the workers, the federal government had approved a N90 billion annual increase in health workers’ allowances.
Resident doctors recently threatened to withdraw their services at hospitals nationwide by midnight, January 12, 2026, if their outstanding demands are not met
In a statement released last weekend by the President of NARD, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, the association had stated: “Following the E-NEC meeting, the NEC resolved to resume total indefinite, comprehensive strike–tagged, ‘No Implementation, No Going Back,’ with effect from 12th January 2026 by 12:00 am.”
However, in response, Salako said the federal government has addressed a substantial number of the doctors’ demands and was on the verge of resolving all outstanding issues.
The Minister outlined the federal government’s actions aimed at addressing resident doctors’ demands and preventing recurring strikes in the health sector.
According to the statement, Salako had affirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to maintaining industrial peace and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
Salako noted that while the government would be pleased to significantly raise health workers’ pay, it must balance such demands with obligations to other sectors, including education, security, and national infrastructure, within the limits of available revenue.
The minister said Tinubu’s administration demonstrated its commitment in November 2025 by approving an upward review of professional allowances for health workers by adding nearly N90 billion to government expenditure annually.
According to Salako, the increment covers call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty, and rural posting allowances and was reached through joint negotiations involving all health worker groups.
He explained that past negotiations were often fragmented, with different health professional groups engaging the government separately, leading to conflicting agreements on pay parity and relativity and triggering repeated industrial actions.
To address this, Salako said the Ministry initiated and adopted a collective bargaining approach, ensuring that doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and other health workers negotiated together.
On NARD’s demands, the Minister said the association’s requests have reduced from 19 to 9, indicating progress in talks.
On the demand for specialist allowance for resident doctors, Salako said resident doctors are specialists-in-training and that current regulations reserve specialist allowances for consultants.
The Minister added that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had advised against extending the allowance to residents, warning it could create similar claims from other health workers undergoing specialist training.
Salako also dismissed claims of inaction on certification issues, explaining that the National Postgraduate Medical College does not issue certificates after passing Part I examinations, a policy the Ministry cannot override.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding five resident doctors disengaged in Lokoja, the Minister said their cases arose from civil service disciplinary procedures.
He disclosed that a Ministerial review committee has recommended reinstatement for two doctors, reprimand for two others, and a fresh disciplinary hearing for one, in line with extant due process.
While acknowledging public concern over frequent industrial actions by doctors, Salako noted that such are a global phenomenon, citing similar disputes in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Labour and other stakeholders, remain committed to dialogue that would stabilise the health sector, ensure industrial harmony and prevent future disruptions to healthcare services.
