FG Moves To End Doctors’ Strike, To Release N11.9 Billion Within 72 Hours

By Ayodele Oni

In a swift move to end the ongoing strike by members of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors, (NARD), the Federal Government is set to release ₦11.995 billion within 72 hours to clear outstanding arrears, including accoutrement allowances owed to health workers.

It has also been confirmed that the full payment of ₦10.6 billion for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund  (MRTF) to resident doctors nationwide will commence immediately.

According to Dr. Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, the payments reflect President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving doctors’ welfare and sustaining industrial harmony across the health sector.

Salako reaffirmed this during a meeting between the Ministry’s management and the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), following recent agitation over welfare and professional concerns which has resulted into strike action.

Deputy Director and Head of Operations, Information and Public Relations at the Ministry, Alabama Balogun,in a statement on Saturday, stated that the Minister confirmed the commencement of the payment of seven months’ arrears of the 25 and 35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) to all categories of health workers.

He revealed that ₦10 billion was paid in August 2025, while another ₦21.3 billion has been transferred to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) account for further disbursement.

According to him, the government also granted special waivers to enable massive recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary institutions to address shortages caused by brain drain.

Over 20,000 health workers, including doctors, nurses, and allied professionals, were employed in 2024, with another 15,000 already approved for recruitment in 2025, Salako affirmed.

To strengthen dialogue and resolve welfare issues, he said the Ministry has engaged Prof. Dafe Otobo, an industrial relations expert, to mediate between government and the unions.

Prof. Otobo, he said, has held meetings with the unions individually and collectively, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, to fast-track consensus on allowances, salary relativity, and other contentious matters.

On the dismissal of five doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, the Minister clarified that three, who did not appear before a properly constituted disciplinary panel have been offered reabsorption into service, adding that the remaining two cases have been referred to Prof. Otobo for review.

He added that delays in promotions and payment processing are largely due to technical issues within IPPIS, but discussions are ongoing with relevant agencies to address them.

“Our health workforce is the foundation of Nigeria’s healthcare reform. Every policy and investment under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Initiative is anchored on their well-being and motivation.”