Crisis Looms: Resident Doctors Convene Emergency Meeting As 30-Day Ultimatum Nears Expiry

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to hold an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting to review the status of its 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.

According to a notice obtained by The Punch on Tuesday, the virtual meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025.

The circular, signed by NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, and addressed to the National Officers’ Committee, Caucus Leaders, Centre Presidents, and General Secretaries, emphasized the importance of the gathering.

It partly read:

“An Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting has been fixed for Saturday, 25th October 2025. Your presence and participation are crucial as we deliberate on critical matters affecting our members and the health sector.”

The meeting’s outcome is expected to determine whether the association will intensify its industrial action or explore alternative resolutions.

On September 26, NARD had issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address several outstanding welfare and policy grievances affecting resident doctors and medical officers nationwide.

Among the issues raised were excessive work hours, which the doctors described as “unbearable, unsafe, and detrimental” to both their wellbeing and patient safety.

They also protested the non-payment of the 25% and 35% CONMESS arrears due since August 2025, alongside other unpaid salary and promotion arrears.

The association condemned the dismissal of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, describing the move as “unjust and ill-timed,” especially amid widespread burnout and rising brain drain in the health sector.

Other grievances include the non-payment of the 2024 accoutrement allowance, delays in upgrading doctors after postgraduate examinations, and the exclusion of resident doctors from the specialist allowance, despite their critical clinical contributions.

NARD also faulted the exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme, which has denied them access to pay slips, official recognition, and prompt salaries.

The union further decried the reduction of newly employed doctors’ salary grades from CONMESS 3 Step 3 to CONMESS 2 Step 2, an error it said had been corrected in the past but has since resurfaced.

Lingering Salary and Pension Disputes

NARD highlighted persistent salary shortfalls over the past seven years, stemming from the non-release of corrected professional allowances and the continued casualisation of medical personnel, leaving many doctors without job security for up to a decade.

The doctors also accused the government of failing to implement the special pension benefits agreed with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in July 2025.

They linked the worsening brain drain to poor remuneration, obsolete hospital infrastructure, and outdated equipment, which they said hinder effective healthcare delivery and medical training.

The communiqué additionally criticised the creation of consultant cadres for non-medical professionals, warning that such a policy could jeopardize patient safety and professional standards within Nigeria’s health system.