By Ayomide Otitoju
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0) from January 12, 2026, citing the Federal Government’s failure to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the association.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday and signed by its President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, NARD said the decision followed resolutions reached at an Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on Friday. The association warned last week that a nationwide shutdown of medical services was imminent if the government failed to honour the agreement.
According to NARD, the renewed industrial action, tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back,” will commence at 12:00 a.m. on January 12, 2026, unless the government meets its outstanding obligations. The doctors described the strike as the inevitable outcome of repeated missed deadlines by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to implement the MoU.
As part of preparations, the E-NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and subsequently address the media. The association said it plans to hold 91 press conferences across the country within seven days to draw attention to unresolved welfare issues affecting resident doctors.
NARD also announced a series of protests alongside the strike. Centre-based demonstrations are scheduled to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026, followed by regional protests led by caucus leaders and a national protest organised by the association’s National Officers’ Committee.
“The National Officers’ Committee appreciates your patience, resilience and continued support in our collective struggle for doctors’ welfare,” the statement said. “NEC resolved to resume TICS 2.0, tagged ‘No Implementation, No Going Back,’ with effect from January 12, 2026, by 12:00 a.m.”
The association said the strike would only be suspended after the full implementation of its minimum demands. NARD had earlier suspended its indefinite strike on November 29, after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of the MoU, which committed the government to address its demands within four weeks.
The doctors’ demands include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget. Other issues raised include clarification on skipping and entry-level matters by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, reintroduction and implementation of the specialist allowance, resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, and the issuance of a pay advisory.
NARD is also seeking the re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees, and the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
The association explained that the one-week notice before the resumption of the strike is to allow time for congress meetings, media engagement and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements.
