Resident Doctors Begin Strike Across Nigeria, Patients at UCH Stranded

Resident doctors in Nigeria have commenced a five-day warning strike after their ultimatum to the federal government expired, leaving patients stranded in hospitals including the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The industrial action was announced by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Friday, September 12, 2025.

At UCH, the strike led to a full non-attendance by resident doctors, crippling services in the Accident and Emergency unit. Patients were turned away, and no new admissions were carried out as doctors held their lines to press demands over unpaid allowances and improved working conditions.

Among NARD’s grievances are non-release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, salary arrears under the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), delays in payment of specialist and hazard allowances, and non-recognition or non-issuance of post-graduate certificates.

The strike follows a 10-day ultimatum issued to relevant government agencies to address these concerns. When this deadline passed without satisfactory action, the National Executive Council of NARD directed all resident doctors to comply with the strike order nationwide.

In Lagos State, resident doctors complied fully with the strike at several major hospitals, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, and the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba.

Dr. Gboyega Ajibola, president of the UCH chapter of NARD, described the strike as necessary to force attention to the long-neglected welfare of medical trainees. “Any doctor whose welfare is not met is already a risk to the patients,” he said. He also stressed that the strike will be suspended only if a “minimum demand” is met.