The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is set to suspend its planned nationwide strike after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government during a meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting, which lasted about three hours, was convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. It brought together officials from the Ministries of Health, Labour and Finance, alongside representatives of the Budget Office, the Office of the Accountant-General and other government agencies responsible for salaries and public service administration. The discussions focused on resolving issues that had led resident doctors to consider industrial action.
After the meeting, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said the talks produced clear commitments from the government on several unresolved matters. According to him, both sides agreed on timelines for addressing salary-related concerns, promotion matters and outstanding allowances that had remained unresolved for some time.
He also disclosed that the government accepted measures to improve the payment process for house officers. Under the new arrangement, their salaries are expected to be paid before the 10th day of every month to prevent the delays that have affected many newly employed doctors.
The meeting also addressed the ongoing negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the association and the Federal Government. Relevant ministries were directed to speed up discussions so that any approved financial obligations can be included in the next national budget.
Another issue raised during the talks was the growing number of attacks on doctors and other health workers. The association expressed concern over repeated cases of violence in hospitals and called for stronger protection for medical personnel.
In response, the Federal Government agreed to improve security within health facilities and begin public awareness efforts aimed at reducing attacks on healthcare workers. Plans are also underway to support legislation that would impose tougher penalties on anyone found guilty of assaulting health workers.
The meeting further examined the issue of unpaid hazard and specialist allowance arrears. Government officials and NARD reviewed the outstanding obligations and agreed that the amount owed was lower than earlier estimated. The Budget Office is expected to provide a timetable for settling the remaining payments.
Although the association did not immediately announce the formal suspension of the planned strike, Suleiman said the outcome of the meeting had resolved most of the issues that led to the dispute. He explained that the decisions reached would first be presented to the National Executive Council of the association before a final announcement is made.
Sources familiar with the discussions said NARD leaders indicated during the meeting that the planned industrial action would no longer be necessary following the agreements reached with the Federal Government.
The planned strike was scheduled to begin on August 10 after resident doctors warned that unresolved welfare issues, salary delays and unpaid allowances could force them to withdraw their services. The latest agreement is expected to prevent the disruption of medical services in teaching hospitals and other public health facilities across the country.