Resident Doctors Declare Five-Day Warning Strike Over Unmet Demands -

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By Odekunle Doyin

Health services across Nigeria are set to face major disruptions as the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced a nationwide five-day warning strike beginning Friday, September 12, 2025, after what it described as government’s failure to address lingering welfare and working condition concerns.

The industrial action, which will affect hospitals nationwide, will run from 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 12, to Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Agbor Affiong, General Secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Affiong said the decision was taken after an emergency online National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting of NARD held late Wednesday and concluded in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the statement:

“Arising from the NARD E-NEC meeting held on Wednesday, the 10th of September, 2025, which extended into the early hours of Thursday, the 11th of September, 2025, the NEC members unanimously resolved to embark on a five-day warning strike.

“The strike will commence at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, 12th September 2025, and will end on Tuesday, 16th September 2025.

“All centres are hereby directed to duly inform their hospital managements and continue to press home our collective demands.”

The statement, however, did not rule out the possibility of a full-blown indefinite strike should the government fail to meet the doctors’ demands after the warning action.

Observers warn that the strike may worsen Nigeria’s already overstretched healthcare system, with patients expected to bear the brunt of the industrial action.