RESIDENT doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have commenced a seven-day warning strike over a long-standing systemic failure in Abuja’s health sector.
The latest industrial action, declared by the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT chapter (ARD-FCT), came amid growing frustration over worsening conditions, including manpower shortages, unpaid allowances, broken equipment, and unsustainable workloads for medical staff.
The development was announced on Monday, September 8, in a communiqué signed by ARD-FCT President George Ebong and other executives.
The doctors warned that continued neglect of the sector could trigger a complete breakdown of healthcare delivery in the capital.
They are demanding urgent recruitment of health workers, provision of functional equipment, regular payment of salaries and allowances, among others.
This strike followed an earlier one in January 2025, which was called off after the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, intervened.
At the time, Ebong revealed that Wike had approved the payment of six months’ salary arrears, outstanding accoutrement allowances, and pledged to reduce medical residency bonding to two years.
He also noted that the minister authorised the recruitment of additional doctors and allied health workers to address staffing shortages and promised to ensure prompt payment of locum and other health workers.
The doctors resumed work on January 25, 2025. However, eight months later, the ARD-FCT gave the FCT administration a one-week deadline to begin implementing reforms, particularly on staffing and welfare, or risk further industrial action.
National crisis mirrors local grievances
THE FCT strike was part of a broader, national wave of dissatisfaction among Nigeria’s resident doctors.
Earlier in June, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) criticised the Federal Government over continued exclusion from specialist allowances, non-payment of arrears, and the failure to implement the long-overdue revision of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
During a press briefing in Uyo, NARD President Tope Osundara condemned the government’s persistent neglect of frontline medical professionals.
He also pointed out that the 2009 ‘Collective Bargaining Agreement’ had been repeatedly breached, and that multiple letters sent to federal authorities had gone unanswered for over six months.
“The OGM observed with disappointment the continued exclusion of resident doctors from the payment of specialist allowances, despite their active role in delivering specialist care across various health institutions,” part of the communique, as read by the president, said.
Osundara further expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the Federal Government to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears and the lack of consequential adjustments to the CONMESS structure for over 16 years.
He said the omission breached the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
He also criticised the government for ignoring multiple correspondence on the issue over the past six months, warning that the neglect contradicted the National Policy on Health Workforce.
Government optimistic
Responding to the latest development, the Minister of State for Health, Isaq Salako, expressed confidence that ongoing talks with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) would prevent a prolonged strike.
He said this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, on Monday, September 8.
“The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but I believe with the level of conversation ongoing, we had a meeting on Monday; we are making progress,”
He noted that the main issue is the outstanding residency training allowance, about 40 per cent of which for 2025 is yet to be paid.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M