Resident Doctors Give Nigerian Government Fresh 24-Hour Ultimatum

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A fresh 24-hour ultimatum has been given to the federal government by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to meet their demands.

This new deadline followed the expiration of the earlier 10-day ultimatum given to the Nigerian authorities. The first deadline elapsed on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of NARD, after a six-hour meeting on Wednesday, agreed to extend the ultimatum by a day, stressing that if the outstanding demands of the medical practitioners were not met, they may be forced to take an action the federal government may not be palatable with.

The resident doctors want the government to immediately pay their outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, settle the five months’ arrears from the 25–35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, and other long-standing salary backlogs.

They also asked the federal government to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears, promptly disburse specialist allowances, and restore the recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

Further, the doctors asked the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to issue membership certificates to all deserving candidates, implement the 2024 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, resolve outstanding welfare issues in Kaduna State, and address the plight of resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

The president of NARD, Dr Tope Osundara, said the NEC of the association agreed to give the government another 24 hours to fulfil its promise, warning that if they payments were not made today, Thursday, September 11, 2025, his members will commence an industrial action from Friday, September 12, 2025.