The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared a nationwide strike set to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. The decision follows the federal government's suspension of the Professional Allowance Table (PAT) and its failure to settle pending financial obligations to resident doctors. In a statement released on Saturday, 4 April 2026, NARD Secretary-General Shuaibu Ibrahim described the PAT suspension as "unfortunate" and a blow to efforts aimed at improving resident doctors' welfare. The association is demanding the reversal of the suspension, payment of promotion and salary arrears, release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and settlement of professional allowance arrears spanning 19 months. NARD has directed its members across the country to fully observe the industrial action until their demands are met.
NARD's strike is not the first over unpaid allowances, and Shuaibu Ibrahim's statement offers no indication this one will end differently. The same demands have been made repeatedly, yet the federal government continues to treat resident doctors' welfare as negotiable. When allowances go unpaid for 19 months, it is not a breakdown in communication—it is a policy choice. For Nigerian patients who rely on overburdened public hospitals, the cost of that choice is measured in delayed care and lost trust.
