The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has suspended its ongoing five-day warning strike after just two days, granting the Federal Government a two-week grace period to meet its demands.

The association said it would reconvene on September 26 during its Annual General Meeting to decide whether to resume the industrial action.

NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara, said the decision was reached to show goodwill to Nigerians and to allow the government time to address lingering welfare issues affecting doctors.

“It is because we want the government, having negotiated with us, to give them ample time to perfect their plans in addressing all the other concerns,” Osundara told our correspondent on Sunday.

“Our members felt that since we’ve also extended a friendly hand, we should extend a hand of goodwill, especially to the Nigerian populace, who are grappling with the harsh economic conditions together with the challenges they face.”

He stressed that the doctors were not backing down on their demands but were only suspending action temporarily.

“We just want to give a human face and also extend this olive branch to the government. And we do hope that within this period of two weeks, they will be able to attend to everything contained in our list of demands,” he said.

The resident doctors had declared the strike last Friday after a series of ultimatums, including a 21-day notice in July, a 10-day extension, and a final 24-hour deadline that elapsed on September 10.

Their demands include the immediate payment of the outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund; settlement of five months’ arrears from the 25–35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review; the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears; prompt disbursement of specialist allowances; and restoration of recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

NARD is also pushing for the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to issue membership certificates to all deserving candidates, full implementation of the 2024 CONMESS, resolution of welfare issues in Kaduna State, and redress of concerns of resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

So far, Osundara disclosed, the government has only acted on one of the demands — the payment of the 2025 MRTF to previously omitted members.

“That’s the only thing the government has done for now. Aside from the MRTF, they’ve not done anything else. We still have unpaid arrears, and we have a shortage of manpower,” he said.

He also pointed to delays in the release of a corrected circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. “Doctors have been shortchanged for over a decade, and it is high time they corrected this immediately,” he added.

Osundara warned that NARD would have no choice but to escalate if the government failed to act before the September 26 review date. “We would be having our Annual General Meeting, which is the highest decision-making body of the association, within this period. So by September 26, we would know the next line of action,” he stated.

On the separate strike action in Oyo State, the NARD president clarified that the national suspension did not affect doctors at LAUTECH-TH, Ogbomoso. “We’ve allowed them to continue, and we’ve given the Oyo State Government 15 days to meet their demands. After these 15 days, we are going to tell our members all over Oyo State to shut down immediately. The 15 days are still within our two weeks to the Federal Government,” he explained.