Resident doctors at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital (NPH), Aro, Abeokuta, have announced they will join the nationwide strike declared by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from midnight on Monday, January 12, 2026, over the Federal Government’s alleged failure to honour agreements reached with the doctors.
The decision was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), NPH, Aro, following an Emergency General Meeting held virtually on January 4, 2026.
The statement was signed by the ARD President, Dr. Chidi Ikwumezie; General Secretary, Dr. George Oparaku; and Public Relations Officer, Dr. John Aderibigbe and read at a press conference by the Vice President, Dr. Grace Adeniji, in the presence of other leaders and members of the association.
The doctors said the action became inevitable after what they described as the Federal Government’s continued failure to fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding signed with resident doctors in November 2025, despite “repeated engagements, assurances and ample time for compliance.”
According to the association, members unanimously resolved to align with the national body in the resumption of the industrial action, tagged Total, Indefinite and Comprehensive Strike (TICS) 2.0, with the slogan, “No implementation, no going back.”
The ARD listed its minimum demands to include the reinstatement of five resident doctors of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of all outstanding promotion and salary arrears; and full implementation of the corrected professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 Federal Budget.
Other demands include official clarification on skipping and entry-level issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; re-introduction and full implementation of the Specialist Allowance; and the resolution of salary delays and arrears affecting house officers, alongside a clear pay advisory.
The doctors also demanded the re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, commencement of locum practice and work-hours regulation committee activities, and the immediate resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
Reaffirming their solidarity with NARD and resident doctors nationwide, the association said the strike was not taken lightly but was necessitated by the government’s failure to honour agreements it voluntarily entered into.
The ARD warned that continued inaction by the authorities could lead to a total shutdown of services in tertiary health institutions across the country, with grave consequences for healthcare delivery and public wellbeing.
It urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to avert the looming crisis and called on relevant stakeholders, civil society organisations and the general public to prevail on the government to do the needful in the interest of the nation’s health sector.
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