BREAKING: Nigerian Doctors Set for Critical Meeting as Strike Threat Looms

CoolNews Exclusive Report Wednesday, September 10, 2025

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) convenes its crucial National Executive Council meeting today to decide whether to proceed with a threatened nationwide strike that could paralyze the country’s already strained healthcare system.

Strike Ultimatum Reaches Boiling Point

Following a 10-day ultimatum issued to federal authorities, resident doctors across Nigeria are poised to down tools if their longstanding demands remain unaddressed. The decision comes as Nigeria’s public health infrastructure continues to buckle under severe doctor shortages, crumbling facilities, and overwhelming patient loads.

CoolNews has learned that the doctors’ grievances center on multiple financial and welfare issues that have festered for months without resolution.

What the Doctors Want

In a comprehensive communiqué dated September 1, 2025, and signed by NARD leadership including President Dr. Tope Osundara, General Secretary Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku, and Publicity Secretary Dr. Omoha Amobi, the association outlined critical demands:

• Immediate release of the outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund
• Settlement of five months’ salary arrears from the 25-35% Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review
• Resolution of accumulated salary backlogs spanning multiple years
• Issuance of membership certificates by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
• Implementation of the 2024 CONMESS adjustments
• Resolution of welfare crises in Kaduna State and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso

Leadership Speaks: “Government Must Act Now”

In an exclusive interview with CoolNews, Dr. Osundara emphasized the gravity of today’s deliberations.

“Today’s NEC meeting will be decisive,” Osundara stated. “We’ll evaluate whether government has demonstrated genuine commitment to resolving our concerns. Positive action will influence our decision, but continued negligence will force the council to take a definitive stance on industrial action.”

NARD First Vice-President Dr. Tajudeen Abdulrauf echoed these sentiments, highlighting the association’s patience despite repeated delays.

“We initially issued a three-week ultimatum in July, then extended it in good faith,” Abdulrauf explained. “The NEC authorized another three-week engagement period with stakeholders, yet we’ve seen no concrete progress. Industrial harmony cannot be guaranteed if our demands continue to be ignored.”

Healthcare Crisis Deepens

The potential strike threatens to worsen Nigeria’s healthcare emergency, where resident doctors form the backbone of medical services in teaching and specialist hospitals. Previous strikes have forced patients into expensive private facilities, often with devastating financial and health consequences for ordinary Nigerians.

Healthcare experts warn that another shutdown could prove catastrophic for a system already struggling with brain drain, inadequate funding, and poor working conditions that have driven thousands of Nigerian doctors abroad.

What Happens Next

As NARD leaders deliberate behind closed doors today, millions of Nigerians anxiously await the outcome. The association’s decision will either provide relief through continued dialogue or plunge the country into another healthcare crisis through industrial action.

CoolNews will continue monitoring this developing story and provide updates as the situation unfolds.

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