The indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has left many hospitals deserted and patients stranded or discharged, according to Daily Trust reporting.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) commenced an indefinite strike on Saturday, November 1, 2025, according to Daily Trust reporting. The industrial action has grounded activities across the country’s hospitals, leaving patients stranded and forcing many to be discharged.
Findings by Daily Trust showed that many health facilities were largely deserted on Sunday, with only nurses providing skeletal services. NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, announced the strike after the 30-day ultimatum issued to the federal government expired.
“We embark on this total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike not out of desire but out of necessity,” Suleiman said, citing the government’s “continued neglect of our legitimate demands and the worsening state of Nigeria’s health system.”
Key issues driving the strike include unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, inadequate staffing, excessive workload, and the lack of essential medical infrastructure.
In response, the federal government announced plans to release N11.9 billion within 72 hours to settle part of the arrears, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for expedited payments. This is in addition to N21.3 billion already moved to the IPPIS account, and N10 billion previously paid in August 2025, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Reports from Abuja, Makurdi, Maiduguri, and Lagos confirm significant disruption, with facilities like Kubwa General Hospital and Benue State University Teaching Hospital seeing services severely curtailed and patients being discharged.
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