Federal government has said the ongoing industrial dispute with National Association of Resident Doctors (NERD) is not due to neglect but deep structural and policy challenges within the health sector.
Gatekeepers News reports that resident doctors had earlier announced plans to begin a nationwide strike from January 12, citing the government’s inability to fully meet long-standing welfare and professional demands. However, the government said discussions are still ongoing and progress has been made.
Speaking on an AIT programme on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the government remains committed to industrial harmony and uninterrupted healthcare delivery across the country. He explained that the disagreement is rooted in policy limitations and existing public service regulations.
Salako said, “The ongoing standoff is driven by structural and policy issues rather than neglect.”
He noted that while the government understands calls for better pay, it must also consider competing national responsibilities such as education, security, and infrastructure.
According to him, the Tinubu administration showed goodwill in November 2025 by approving an upward review of health workers’ professional allowances, a decision that added about N90 billion to annual government spending.
Salako said the adjustment covered call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty, and rural posting allowances, and was reached through joint negotiations involving doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and other health professionals. He explained that past talks often involved separate negotiations with different groups, which led to conflicts and delays.
He 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.”
On the demands by NARD, the minister said the association has reduced its requests from 19 to nine, which he described as a sign of progress. He added that some unresolved issues are restricted by civil service rules and approved schemes of service that the ministry cannot unilaterally change.
Addressing the call for specialist allowances for resident doctors, Salako said residents are specialists-in-training and that current regulations limit such allowances to consultants. He added that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission warned that extending the allowance could trigger similar demands from other health workers in training.
The minister also dismissed claims that the government ignored certification issues, explaining that the National Postgraduate Medical College does not issue certificates after Part I examinations, and that the ministry has no authority to alter that policy.
On the disengagement of five resident doctors in Lokoja, Salako said the matter followed civil service disciplinary procedures. He disclosed that a ministerial review committee has recommended the reinstatement of two doctors, reprimand for two others, and a fresh disciplinary hearing for one.
Salako assured Nigerians that the health ministry, in collaboration with the ministry of labour and other stakeholders, remains open to dialogue and is working to stabilise the health sector, prevent strikes, and ensure continuous healthcare services nationwide.
