Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, the President of NARD, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said the debts span various allowances and salary adjustments dating back several years.
According to Suleiman, “The allowances owed cover a period ranging from four months to over ten years, including arrears from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review and accoutrement allowances. For all healthcare workers, the total outstanding is between ₦35 billion and ₦38 billion. For doctors alone, it’s around ₦600–₦800 million.”
The NARD president said the association has already directed its members to begin ward rounds and patient handovers ahead of an indefinite nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
He said the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) convened an emergency virtual meeting on October 25 to review the government’s response to its 19-point demands, which he described as “minimum requirements” to prevent the industrial action.
Suleiman expressed frustration that the government had failed to act, despite the expiration of NARD’s 30-day ultimatum. He listed key demands including immediate payment of the outstanding 25–35% CONMESS arrears, accoutrement allowances, reinstatement of dismissed doctors at Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, implementation of a one-for-one replacement policy for exiting medical personnel, and urgent improvements in hospital infrastructure nationwide.
The NEC also called for the abolition of the casualisation of doctors, payment of promotion arrears, correction of entry-level placements, inclusion of medical and dental house officers in the civil service scheme, and prompt review of the CONMESS salary structure.
Suleiman appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene personally in resolving the crisis, saying:
“Mr. President, they have been paying themselves, but it is us in the field that are being neglected. We appeal to you as the father of the nation to step in and resolve these issues once and for all.”
NARD maintained that unless its demands are met, doctors in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide will withdraw their services indefinitely starting November 1, 2025.
