The federal government has attributed the industrial dispute with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to structural and policy issues rather than neglect.
The doctors had announced that they would embark on a strike from January 12 in response to the government’s failure to fully address long-standing welfare and professional demands of resident doctors.
Speaking on Tuesday when he featured on an AIT programme, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, minister of state for health and social welfare, said the ministry places high priority on maintaining industrial peace and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
“The ongoing standoff is driven by structural and policy issues rather than neglect,” Salako said.
”While the government would be pleased to significantly raise health workers’ pay, it must balance such demands with obligations to other sectors, including education, security, and national infrastructure.”
Salako said the Tinubu administration demonstrated this commitment in November 2025 by approving an upward review of professional allowances for health workers, adding nearly N90 billion to government expenditure annually.
He said the increment covers call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty and rural posting allowances and was reached through joint negotiations involving all health worker groups.
Salako said past negotiations were often with different health professional groups which caused conflict.
“To address this, the ministry adopted a collective bargaining framework, bringing doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and other health professionals to the negotiating table together,” he said.
On NARD’s demands, the minister said the association’s requests have reduced from 19 to nine, indicating progress in talks.
He said some outstanding demands are constrained by existing civil service rules and approved schemes of service.
On the demand for specialist allowance for resident doctors, Salako said resident doctors are specialists-in-training and that current regulations reserve specialist allowances for consultants.
He added that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had advised against extending the allowance to residents, warning it could create similar claims from other health workers undergoing specialist training.
Salako also dismissed claims of inaction on certification issues, explaining that the National Postgraduate Medical College does not issue certificates after passing Part I examinations, a policy the ministry cannot override.
Addressing the controversy surrounding five resident doctors disengaged in Lokoja, the minister said their cases arose from civil service disciplinary procedures.
He said a ministerial review committee has recommended reinstatement for two doctors, reprimand for two others, and a fresh disciplinary hearing for one, in line with extant due process.
Salako assured Nigerians that the ministry, collaborating with the ministry of labour, and other stakeholders, remain committed to dialogue that will stabilise the health sector, ensure industrial harmony and prevent future disruptions to healthcare services.
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