The Nigerian Medical Association's Lagos branch has voiced support for the nationwide strike by resident doctors, now in its sixth day across 91 hospitals. The action, declared by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on November 1, 2025, stems from unmet welfare demands. Only two of the group's 19 demands are receiving attention, according to NARD.
The nationwide indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began on November 1, 2025, following the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued on September 28, 2025. The strike has halted services in 91 hospitals, including teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, and specialist institutions, disrupting tertiary healthcare across the country.
NARD's 19-point demands focus on welfare issues such as salaries, promotions, and recruitment. NARD President Dr. Mohammad Suleiman stated, “Our demands are neither new nor unreasonable; they represent the minimum requirements for a sustainable healthcare system.” He noted that while the Health Ministry claimed to have released ₦30 billion for arrears, doctors received only a small fraction. Suleiman also highlighted the mass exodus of doctors, with numbers dropping from 15,000–16,000 to about 9,000–10,000 nationwide.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, expressed solidarity during a press briefing on November 6, 2025. Chairman Dr. Babajide Saheed blamed the Federal Government for neglecting doctors' welfare and delaying arrears, which he said has weakened the healthcare system. “The government’s refusal to meet NARD’s nineteen-point demands and the failure of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare to engage with NARD leadership within the stipulated period is a clear act of negligence,” Saheed said.
Saheed urged the government to meet all demands urgently to prevent a total collapse of tertiary health services and restore public confidence. He warned against threats or punishments to striking doctors, calling the action “lawful and necessary.” Additionally, NMA criticized the government's failure to reconstitute Boards of Management in federal tertiary hospitals, dissolved over two years ago, creating a “dangerous vacuum of oversight.” The association advocated for a single, non-renewable five-year tenure for hospital chief executives to enhance accountability, fairness, innovation, and transparency.
On November 3, 2025, Minister of State for Health Dr. Iziaq Salako appealed for the strike's suspension, stating that 60% of resident doctors were receiving payment alerts and an additional ₦11.9 billion had been processed. However, NARD insisted the action would continue until full payments and structural reforms are verified. In a recent update, Suleiman confirmed that all 91 centres remain on total strike, with only two demands under serious attention and no resolution to the 19-point agenda.