The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has scheduled an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting for Saturday, October 25, 2025, to review its 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare and policy issues affecting its members.
In a notice addressed to National Officers, Caucus Leaders, Centre Presidents, and General Secretaries, and signed by NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the association said the meeting would be held virtually.
“I am writing to inform you that an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, 25th October 2025. Your presence and participation are crucial in addressing the matter at hand,” the notice read in part.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to determine whether the association will embark on another round of industrial action if the government fails to meet its demands before the expiration of the ultimatum.
Background to the Ultimatum
NARD had on September 26 given the Federal Government 30 days to meet several pending demands, citing neglect of key welfare issues and persistent poor working conditions for resident doctors across federal health institutions.
The association decried the non-payment of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent upward review arrears of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which were expected to be settled by the end of August 2025. It said doctors continued to endure excessive work hours under unsafe conditions, which posed risks to both practitioners and patients.
Unresolved Issues
Among the major grievances listed by the doctors are:
- Dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, which NARD described as unjust and demoralising.
- Non-payment of promotion arrears owed to medical officers in several federal tertiary hospitals.
- Failure to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance, despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.
- Delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after successful completion of postgraduate medical examinations, leading to unpaid arrears and salary distortions.
- Exclusion of resident doctors from specialist allowances, despite their frontline role in delivering advanced clinical care.
- Exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, denying them rightful salaries and professional recognition.
- Downgrading of newly employed doctors from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, resulting in salary cuts across several hospitals.
Systemic Challenges and Brain Drain
The association also lamented that the CONMESS salary structure has not been reviewed in over 16 years, and that disparities with the CONHESS structure remain unresolved. It said many doctors have faced salary shortfalls for over seven years due to the government’s failure to correct professional allowances.
NARD further warned that the continued casualisation of medical workers, where doctors are retained without proper employment status or promotion for years, was worsening morale and driving mass emigration of professionals abroad.
It also condemned the downgrading of membership certificates issued by the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), calling the move discriminatory and inconsistent with regional standards.
The association criticised the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria for delays in issuing certificates to qualified graduates and expressed frustration over the non-implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, which would allow hospitals to immediately replace doctors who exit the system.
Broader Sectoral Concerns
NARD accused the government of neglecting critical healthcare infrastructure, noting that many hospitals suffer from obsolete equipment and decaying facilities, undermining both patient care and medical training.
It also rejected the creation of consultant cadres for non-medical doctors, warning that such policies could compromise clinical standards and blur professional lines in the healthcare system.
The doctors further criticised the non-implementation of special pension benefits agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on July 26, 2025.
As the October 25 meeting draws closer, tension is building within the medical community, with many observers expecting a decisive stance from NARD. Should the Federal Government fail to act before the deadline, another strike could further strain Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.
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