LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria’s resident doctors have pushed back against what they describe as government stalling, warning that further delays in resolving long-standing welfare issues threaten morale, professionalism, and stability in the health sector.
The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) rejected a reported plan by the federal government to carry out a six-month job evaluation before resuming negotiations on the Medical and Health Workers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The association insists that the CBA must proceed without delay, even if job evaluation continues in parallel.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, NARD President Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, said resident doctors are seeking “the best of our profession” and are determined to prevent actions that could set damaging precedents for healthcare workers nationwide.
According to Suleiman, the federal government proposed the six-month job evaluation to the Nigeria Medical Association and the Joint Health Sector Unions. While the NMA reportedly accepted the plan, JOHESU rejected it, deepening concerns among resident doctors that negotiations are being unnecessarily prolonged.
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“CBA should resume while the job evaluation is going on,” Suleiman said.
He stressed that postponement undermines trust and delays urgently needed reforms in doctors welfare and working conditions. While acknowledging positive steps by the government, Suleiman cited the reinstatement of disengaged doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, as a welcome development.
However, he criticised the decision requiring two of the affected doctors to seek transfers to other tertiary hospitals, warning that such measures could worsen tensions rather than resolve them.
According to him, NARD is not seeking confrontation but is firm on principles.
In his words, “When you have union leaders who agitated because of union activities, and then they lost their jobs because of that, there’s a precedent that we should all be careful not to set. The commitment from federal government is to allow all our members to go back to Lokoja. Let it be a record that they have gone back to Lokoja first.”
Attention also turned to the intervention of Vice President Kashim Shettima, which NARD says has helped de-escalate tensions. Suleiman said the association’s decision to suspend strike action was based on confidence in the Vice President’s assurances which has seen tangible progress.
“The Vice President made it very clear that he is acting on behalf of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If there was no belief or respect in his ability and capacity to sort out this issue, we would have been on strike by now. We saw the byproduct of that goodwill from the Vice President. Letters came out, people made progress, and a lot of papers moved from one agency of government to the other,” he added.
Beyond negotiations, NARD outlined a list of urgent financial demands, including immediate payment of outstanding 25 percent and 35 percent CONMESS arrears, accoutrement allowance arrears, promotion arrears, and salary backlogs owed to specific health centres.
Suleiman also called for the full implementation of the approved Specialist Allowance and faster resolution of issues affecting house officers, including delayed salaries.
Looking ahead, the association urged the government to capture all agreed items in the 2026 budget to avoid recurring disputes. NARD reiterated that it would continue engaging the National Assembly and other stakeholders to accelerate implementation of all outstanding commitments, insisting that prolonged delays only weaken Nigeria’s healthcare system and the professionals sustaining it.
