Samuel Omang
Nigeria’s fragile health system is bracing for another shockwave as resident doctors across the country have vowed to down tools indefinitely from November 1, 2025. The move by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has reignited fears of another nationwide paralysis in public hospitals, with patients and healthcare workers caught in the crossfire of a long-running standoff between doctors and the government.
What began as a polite warning has now morphed into a battle of endurance. The doctors, under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, say they have been pushed to the wall after months of unmet promises, unpaid allowances, and what they describe as “institutional disregard” for their welfare and professional dignity.
“The government has left us with no choice,” Suleiman declared in a statement on Sunday. “Our members have shown enough patience, but promises have been broken too many times. This strike is not a protest — it is a cry for survival.”
The announcement followed a marathon five-hour emergency meeting of NARD’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja, where delegates unanimously endorsed a total and indefinite shutdown of services. The strike, according to the directive, will take effect from 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2025.
At the core of the doctors’ grievances lies a familiar list: unpaid arrears, poor hospital infrastructure, inadequate remuneration, and the government’s failure to fulfill previous agreements. But this time, many say the crisis feels different — more urgent, more desperate, and more symbolic of Nigeria’s deepening health sector rot.
“This is not just about doctors,” said a resident physician at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, who pleaded anonymity. “It’s about a healthcare system that’s collapsing from the inside. We’re fighting for the patients too — but how do you save lives when the system itself is on life support?”
Across major teaching hospitals, tension is already palpable. Patients have begun rushing for last-minute consultations and drug refills, fearing that the looming strike could stretch on for weeks or even months.
In Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, hospital corridors are filled with anxious faces — mothers clutching sick children, elderly patients awaiting dialysis, and accident victims hoping for surgery before Friday. Many remember the chaos of past strikes, when wards fell silent and lives hung in the balance.
Critics have accused the doctors of insensitivity, arguing that industrial actions in the health sector often cost innocent lives. But NARD insists the blame lies squarely with government officials who, despite repeated negotiations, have failed to make good on their promises.
“It is a shame that doctors must resort to strikes before being heard,” said health policy analyst Dr. Amina Oladipo. “These crises keep repeating because the government only reacts under pressure. Until there’s sincerity on both sides, we’ll keep seeing this cycle of neglect and disruption.”
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has yet to issue an official statement on the new strike, but sources within the ministry hinted that a last-minute negotiation team could be convened before the end of the week to avert what many fear could become the most crippling doctors’ strike in recent years.
For now, the countdown continues. As November 1 draws near, Nigeria’s public hospitals face another uncertain dawn — one where the doctors who save lives may once again be forced to choose between duty and dignity.