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By Prosper Olayiwola

The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, on Monday said the Federal Government owes doctors and other health workers across the country an estimated N38bn in accumulated allowances.

Suleiman said this during a press briefing in Abuja while presenting the resolutions of the Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, which followed the expiration of NARD’s 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.

He warned that resident doctors have already begun ward rounds and patient-handover ahead of the planned nationwide total and indefinite strike, beginning Saturday, November 1, 2025.

Suleiman explained that the outstanding payments are not limited to resident doctors but affect all cadres of health professionals, including administrative personnel.

“There are allowances of over two years, there’s 18 months, there’s seven months, there’s four months, there’s eight months. There’s an allowance error that is over 10 years old. There’s a failure to review even the basic salary of doctors in this country for 16 years.

“For instance, in the outstanding 25-35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, there is the accoutrement allowance for all doctors in the health sector. For all the health care workers, I think the outstanding owed is about N35-38bn. If it’s just resident doctors, we’re just talking about maybe N400m. But for all doctors in Nigeria, it could be N600-800m,” he said.

Beyond the unpaid benefits, he noted that doctors have suffered stagnant salaries for 16 years despite rising workloads and worsening staff shortages in the health sector.

The NARD president said the association has presented 19 demands to the government, describing them as minimum expectations required to prevent the total and indefinite strike by its members.

He said, “Following the suspension of our five-day warning strike on September 14, 2025, the last NARD Annual General Meeting, held in Katsina State, graciously extended the two-week ultimatum given to the Federal Government by an additional 30 days to address the 19-point demands as outlined in the AGM communiqué. This grace period has since elapsed, yet the Federal Government has failed to demonstrate the political will necessary to address the legitimate concerns of Nigerian resident doctors.

“On Saturday, 25th October 2025, NARD convened an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting via Zoom to review the report of the National Officers’ Committee on the status of implementation of our demands by the Federal Government and affected State Governments.”

He said the NEC of NARD observed that the Federal Government has failed to settle multiple outstanding arrears from the CONMESS review and accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances.

He noted that after extensive deliberations, “the NEC demands the immediate payment of outstanding 25-35 per cent CONMESS arrears and other pending financial entitlements owed to our members. The NEC strongly urges the Federal Government to, without further delay, pay the outstanding arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance due to doctors.

“The NEC demands the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the five resident doctors unjustly terminated from Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, with full payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances for the period of their unlawful
disengagement.

“The NEC demands that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare immediately constitute a Task Force to develop and implement a clear and humane ‘working-hours policy’ for doctors practising in Nigeria in line with international best practices to safeguard both physician wellbeing and patient safety.

“The NEC demands that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, grant Chief Executives of hospitals more efficient means of employing doctors and replace those who exit the system.

“This can be done through the immediate implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy to reduce excessive workload and burnout among our members.

“The NEC demands an urgent upgrade and maintenance of infrastructure and medical equipment in all healthcare facilities nationwide to ensure effective service delivery and improve the training environment for resident doctors. The NEC demands the immediate commencement of specialist allowance payments to all doctors, in recognition of their pivotal role in delivering specialist medical care across healthcare institutions nationwide.

“The NEC demands that the Federal Government should ensure examination
and regulatory bodies immediately cease the re-categorisation of membership certificates and restore all previously classified certificates to their proper status. Furthermore, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) should commence prompt issuance of certificates post Part 1 examination.”

He further said the council demands the immediate inclusion of medical and dental house officers in the civil service scheme, with full entitlements and prompt payment of their salaries, and immediate correction of all entry-level placements of doctors, decentralisation of promotion processes, and full payment of arrears resulting from those corrections.

He stated that the NEC calls for expedited activities of the Collective Bargaining Agreement Committee to conclude the long-overdue review of CONMESS and other professional allowances, and the immediate release and implementation of the corrected tables of professional allowances and clear enforcement of relativity between CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures.

He also explained that the NEC demands urgent payment of all accrued promotion arrears owed to medical officers and the reversal of the practice of creating and employing consultant cadres for non-medical personnel, and stressed that the NEC demands the complete abolition of casualisation of doctors, insisting that all locum staff must be fully employed according to public service rules.

Suleiman said the NEC further demands uniform implementation of all CONMESS circulars across federal and state institutions and agencies as well as private health-related institutions, and listed outstanding salary and allowance arrears in several centres including FMC Owo, BSUTH, OAUTHC, FTH Lokoja, Kogi State Specialist Hospital and UUTH, all of which must be cleared immediately.

He added that the NEC demands the immediate implementation of the special pension benefits as previously agreed between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association.

“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) hereby declares a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike commencing at 12:00 AM (midnight) on Saturday, 1st November 2025.

“All resident doctors in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide are directed to withdraw their services completely and indefinitely until the Federal Government and affected state governments demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing our demands,” he stated.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to step into the matter, demonstrate goodwill, and resolve the lingering issues affecting doctors and the health sector.

“Mr. President, they have been paying themselves their salaries and allowances. It is us that are in the field working that they are not paying. I hope you will listen to this passionate appeal and I hope you will use your good will. You are the father of the nation. Come into this matter, weigh in it, and solve it for us,” he concluded.