Resident doctors across Nigeria have suspended their nationwide strike and will return to work on Wednesday, union officials have confirmed.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced the decision following an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting.
The union said its members had been directed to resume duties at 08:00 local time on Wednesday after the federal government made concessions on some of the issues that led to the industrial action.
The strike, which had been declared indefinite, was triggered by the government’s failure to meet key demands. These included the reversal of the revised professional allowance, payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and the timely disbursement of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund.
Confirming compliance at the hospital level, Dr Uthman Adedeji, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, said local members would adhere to the national directive.
“The decision to suspend the strike followed the federal government’s reversal of its stance on the revised professional allowance and a commitment to address other outstanding issues,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
He added that services at UCH would resume gradually, noting that no new patients would be admitted until Wednesday morning to allow for proper handover of patients currently under care to consultants.
According to him, stable patients may be discharged, while new cases — including emergencies — will not be accepted until full services resume at the scheduled time.
Dr Adedeji also stated that some doctors may be permitted to extend their stay to manage critically ill patients beyond the handover period, subject to approval from the association’s leadership.
The union reiterated its commitment to patient care and urged the federal government to implement the agreed measures promptly to avoid further disruption in the health sector.
