Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have reached a truce that is expected to suspend a planned nationwide indefinite strike, following a three-hour intervention meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The breakthrough came just days after NARD issued a seven-day ultimatum threatening to embark on industrial action from August 10 over unresolved welfare concerns, including unpaid salary arrears, outstanding allowances, security threats to healthcare workers, and delays in implementing agreements reached with the government.
The meeting brought together key government officials, including the Ministers of Labour, Health, and Finance, the Director-General of the Budget Office, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and representatives of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and Cash Management. The NARD delegation was led by its National President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman. The discussions centred on a range of contentious issues that had pushed the association to the brink of industrial action, including the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) arrears, an increase in the approved adjustment from 25 to 35 per cent, and the payment of 19 months of accumulated professional allowance arrears.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Dr. Suleiman expressed confidence that the association's grievances had been substantially addressed. "Today, I can tell you, our matters are solved," he declared. He praised Gbajabiamila for his timely intervention, recalling that the Chief of Staff had previously resolved disputes involving resident doctors during his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives. "About six or seven years ago, when he became Speaker, it was the first opportunity he had to intervene, and he has always intervened. Whenever he came into our issues, our matters were solved," Suleiman said.
Among the key agreements reached was a commitment by the government to implement several outstanding issues within a one-week timeline. These include the payment of salary and promotion arrears, the settlement of call-duty allowance issues affecting workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and the finalisation of professional allowance templates. The government also agreed to improve the timely payment of salaries to house officers, with a standing directive that they must be paid before the 10th of every month. Additionally, the Presidency instructed the Ministries of Labour and Health to fast-track negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between NARD and the Federal Government, with the aim of capturing agreed provisions in the 2027 budget cycle.
A major aspect of the discussions focused on the growing incidence of violence against health workers. Dr. Suleiman disclosed that the association presented data showing that 31 doctors and more than 20 other health workers had been assaulted in the last 10 months. The meeting agreed that the Ministry of Health would issue directives to hospitals to beef up security and create safe spaces, while also engaging in public education to prevent assaults on health workers. Significantly, Gbajabiamila undertook to introduce legislation that would make attacks on health workers a more serious criminal offence, a move that NARD welcomed as a signal that health workers should not be assaulted.
While the agreements reached represent a major step towards averting the strike, Dr. Suleiman clarified that the formal suspension of the strike notice would be subject to the ratification of the association's National Executive Council (NEC). "I can't stand here and tell you I have called off the strike. What I'll do is, I have the utmost confidence that what he has done today has moved the needle to a very large extent to have solved our matters, and we'll wait for more," he said. He added that he would report back to the NEC, which would take the final decision on the formal suspension of the strike notice.
The truce marks a significant victory for the Tinubu administration, which has been under pressure to address the grievances of healthcare workers amid a worsening exodus of medical professionals from the country. The agreements reached are expected to improve the welfare of resident doctors and enhance the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria's public hospitals. As the government and NARD prepare to implement the agreed timelines, the hope is that the suspension of the strike will restore normalcy to the nation's healthcare system and prevent further disruption to patient care.
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