President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to take all necessary and legitimate steps to ensure that members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, who began an indefinite strike on Saturday, immediately return to work.
The directive was disclosed by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, following the industrial action which has paralysed services in federal and state tertiary hospitals.
Salako said the President had given a clear mandate to resolve the impasse and restore normalcy in the nation’s hospitals.
“Mr President has expressly directed that we do everything possible and legitimate to ensure that the resident doctors are brought back to their duty posts as soon as possible,” the minister stated.
Salako apologised to Nigerians affected by the strike and said the government had been engaging NARD’s leadership to address their 19-point list of demands.
He explained that the dispute stemmed partly from a July circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which created divisions among health workers.
The circular was later withdrawn, and a Collective Bargaining Agreement process was launched in August to unify negotiations across health unions, including the Nigerian Medical Association, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and Joint Health Sector Unions.
The minister said progress had been made despite disagreements over pay relativity and the appointment of non-doctor consultants.
“We engaged an external industrial relations expert to mediate, and most of the 19 issues raised by NARD are already being addressed,” he added.
Salako revealed that the Federal Government had released N21.3bn to settle outstanding arrears and allowances, with 60 per cent of doctors already paid.
He said another N11.9bn was being processed, while N20bn had earlier been disbursed through the Medical Residency Training Fund.
On workforce shortages, he said 14,444 health workers were recruited in 2024, including 3,064 resident doctors, and another 23,059 personnel were being engaged in 2025.
The President, he added, had also approved an increase in the retirement age for clinical staff to 65 years.
Responding to one of NARD’s key demands, the minister explained that medical and dental house officers could not be placed on the civil service scheme because they were interns on temporary, 12-month appointments.
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