Resident Doctors Threaten to Resume Strike January 12

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume its Total Industrial and Clinical Services (TICS) 2.0 nationwide from January 12, 2026, following the outcome of its Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on January 2, 2026.

In an update issued after the meeting, the association, through its president, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, explained that the decision was reached in response to the continued failure of relevant authorities to fully implement agreements reached on doctors’ welfare and conditions of service.

According to the resolution, the resumed action, tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back, will commence at exactly 12:00 am on Monday, January 12, 2026.Ahead of this, NARD directed the presidents of its 91 centres across the country to convene congresses and subsequently address the media.

The association plans to hold 91 separate press conferences nationwide within a seven-day window to raise public awareness of its grievances.It also announced a schedule of centre-based protests from January 12 to January 16, 2026, to be followed by regional protests coordinated by caucus leaders.A nationwide protest is also to be organised by the NARD National Officers’ Committee (NOC).

NARD stressed that any suspension of TICS 2.0 would only be considered after the full implementation of its minimum demands.These include the reinstatement of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget; and an official clarification from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on skipping and entry-level issues.

Other demands listed are the re-introduction and implementation of the Specialist Allowance; resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears with the issuance of a pay advisory; re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN); commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees; and the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.

The association explained that the one week before the resumption of the strike was deliberately provided to allow for proper congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements.

While appreciating the patience and resilience of its members, the NARD National Officers’ Committee reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the NEC’s resolutions, noting that engagement with relevant stakeholders would intensify in the coming days.

NARD urged its members to remain calm, united, and resolute as it pressed for the full implementation of its demands.