NARD Suspends Nationwide Strike After VP Shettima’s Personal Plea — Two‑Week Ceasefire Gives Govt Time to Deliver on Doctors’ Demands


 By Adesakin Adefemi 

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has officially called off its planned nationwide “Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike” (TICS 2.0) — set to begin Monday, January 12 — after Vice President Kashim Shettima stepped in with a personal appeal to give the Federal Government more time to settle outstanding obligations. NARD’s National Executive Council (NEC) announced the decision following an emergency meeting on Sunday, stating that the union would give the Federal Government a two‑week window to demonstrate concrete progress on key demands.

The strike was announced on Jan 3 after NARD accused the government of reneging on a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering salary arrears, specialist allowances, and funding for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). Union leaders warned that further delays would cripple Nigeria’s public health system — a concern that spurred Shettima to step in and assure NARD that the administration is serious about resolving the impasse.

According to official statements, the Vice President personally contacted NARD leadership, secured agreement on several preliminary steps, and urged the union to postpone industrial action. NARD’s NEC acknowledged his appeal and agreed to a temporary suspension, with the understanding that the pause is “strategic and conditional” — pending tangible progress by the next NEC meeting on Jan 25.

In a related development, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) on Friday granted an interim injunction restraining NARD and its members from proceeding with the strike. Justice Emmanuel Subilim issued the order after the Federal Government and Attorney‑General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) argued that the strike would “irreparably harm public health.”

NARD has warned that failure to meet the two‑week deadline will result in immediate resumption of TICS 2.0 — a move that could shut down federal hospitals across the country. The union is urging the public to hold the government accountable during this window, as it continues to push for full implementation of the 2025 MoU, payment of 25 % and 35 % CONMESS arrears, and resolution of house‑officer salary delays.

Health Minister Isaq Salako has expressed confidence that dialogue will prevail, noting that the government has already begun releasing funds — including N11.9 billion earmarked for outstanding allowances — to ease tensions. Civil society groups have welcomed the temporary truce, urging both sides to use the pause constructively to avoid further disruption of medical services.

The next two weeks will be critical — not just for NARD and the Federal Government, but for every Nigerian awaiting treatment in public hospitals. All eyes are now on the negotiating table — and whether goodwill will translate into concrete action before the deadline expires.

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