The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike on 12 January 2026.
This time, the doctors have insisted that they will not be coerced into returning to work until all their demands are met.
In a statement on Saturday, NARD said the decision was taken at a virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association.
NARD explained that the one-week window provided is strategic, to allow proper congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications of the planned protest to security agencies (DSS, Commissioner of Police, Civil Defence), as well as hospital management.
NARD noted that, at the end of the meeting, the NEC resolved to resume TICS 2.0, tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back,” with effect from 12 January 2025 by 12:00 a.m.
The NEC also mandated every centre president from the 91 centres to hold a congress meeting and, at the end, address a press conference. The NEC further directed centre-based protests from 12 to 16 January 2026. After the centre-based protests, regional protests at caucus leaders’ level will be carried out. The NEC also directed that a national protest be organised by the NARD NOC.
However, the NARD NEC agreed that TICS 2.0 suspension would only be considered after full implementation of the following minimum demands: re-instatement of the FTH Lokoja five, and payment of promotion and salary arrears.
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Other demands include full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget; official clarification on skipping and entry-level issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives; and the re-introduction and implementation of the specialist allowance.
The doctors also demanded resolution of House Officers’ salary delays and arrears, with issuance of a pay advisory; re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates post Part I by NPMCN; commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees; and resumption and timely conclusion of the CBA processes.
The NEC assured all members of its full commitment to the resolutions, stressing that engagements will be intensified in the coming days.
