The National Association of Resident Doctors has said it will review issues surrounding the suspension of its proposed strike within the next two weeks.
The President-Elect of the association, Dr Emmanuel Idoko, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar on Monday.
It would be recalled that NARD embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on November 1, 2025, over the Federal Government’s alleged failure to implement a 19-point agreement reached with the association.
The strike was later suspended after 29 days following negotiations with the government, which led to agreements on some of the demands raised by the doctors.
However, the association subsequently announced plans to resume another strike from January 12, citing alleged non-fulfilment of the earlier agreement by the Federal Government.
Idoko said the latest decision to suspend the planned strike followed a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima, who appealed to the doctors to halt further industrial action and allow room for continued dialogue.
“The strike is not called off yet; it was merely kept in abeyance. We shall reassess developments at our next meeting and decide on the next steps,” he said.
He explained that doctors do not take strike actions lightly, noting that such decisions are usually driven by systemic challenges in the health sector.
“Doctors do not embark on strikes for pleasure; we do so in reaction to poor working conditions, inadequate facilities and unfavourable policies that affect healthcare delivery,” Idoko stated.
He also warned that poor remuneration and weak health policies have continued to push many Nigerian doctors to relocate abroad, further worsening the country’s healthcare challenges.
