The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako
NARD Standoff: Nigeria Govt. Reiterates Commitment to Industrial Harmony in Health Sector
Nigeria’s government has highlighted a ₦90 billion annual increase in health workers’ allowances underscoring its commitment to industrial harmony in the sector. This, as the Federal Government explained the ongoing standoff with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), attributing it to structural and policy issues rather than neglect.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, gave the explanation on Tuesday, January 6, in an interview monitored on the AIT Kaakaki programme, where he outlined the federal government’s actions aimed at addressing resident doctors’ demands and preventing recurring strikes in the health sector.
Dr. Salako affirmed that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare places high priority on maintaining industrial peace and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery. He noted that 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, within the limits of available revenue.
According to him, the Tinubu administration demonstrated this commitment in November 2025 by approving an upward review of professional allowances for health workers, adding nearly ₦90 billion to government expenditure annually. 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.
Dr. Salako explained that past negotiations were often fragmented, with different health professional groups engaging government separately, leading to conflicting agreements on pay parity and relativity and triggering repeated industrial actions. To address this, the Ministry initiated and adopted a collective bargaining approach, ensuring that doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and other health workers negotiated together.
On NARD’s demands, the Honourable Minister said the association’s requests have been reduced from 19 to 9, indicating progress in talks. He further clarified that some outstanding demands are constrained by existing civil service rules and approved schemes of service.
He specifically addressed the demand for specialist allowance for resident doctors, noting that resident doctors are specialists-in-training and that current regulations reserve specialist allowances for consultants.
The Honourable Minister 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.
Dr. 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 Honourable Minister said their cases arose from civil service disciplinary procedures. He disclosed that 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.
While acknowledging public concern over frequent strikes, Dr. Salako noted that industrial actions by doctors are a global phenomenon, citing similar disputes in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Labour and other stakeholders, remain committed to dialogue that will stabilize the health sector, ensure industrial harmony and prevent future disruptions to healthcare services.
