Due to the Federal Government's refusal to uphold a Memorandum of Understanding that was previously signed with the group, the Nigerian group of Resident Doctors has issued a warning that the country may soon see another statewide closure of medical services.  

NARD Secretary-General Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim warned that the country was on the verge of a complete and indefinite comprehensive strike in a post on X on Sunday titled "Urgent Appeal to Avert a Looming Nationwide NARD Strike (TICS 2.0)," which was addressed to senior medical professionals and esteemed elders.  

According to the group, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government's repeated failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding with resident physicians would inevitably lead to a strike.

After 29 days of industrial action and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the government, NARD recalled that it had terminated its indefinite strike on November 29.  As per the agreement, the government promised to fulfill NARD's requests in four weeks.  

However, if the Federal Government did not carry out the agreed-upon demands within the allotted four weeks, the association threatened to resume a complete, indefinite, and comprehensive strike.

In a statement, the association said, “I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession. As revered elders, past and present leaders, and custodians of the values that have long sustained our noble calling, your voices carry unmatched moral authority and national weight.

“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action — Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) — triggered by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour the Memorandum of Understanding freely entered into with NARD.

“This development is deeply distressing, not only because of its implications for healthcare delivery, but because it represents a breakdown of trust, sincerity, and good faith in government–professional relations.”

In Nigeria's tertiary institutions, resident physicians are the backbone of service delivery, according to NARD, which also noted that they are overworked and becoming more and more demoralized.

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