As Nigeria’s healthcare system teeters on the brink of collapse, the Federal Government has greenlit the immediate release of ₦11.99 billion to clear long-overdue salary and allowance arrears for doctors and other health workers, a desperate bid to halt the escalating chaos from an indefinite nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD). The announcement, just days into the action that has shuttered hospitals and left patients in limbo, underscores the administration’s frantic scramble to restore industrial peace in a sector plagued by brain drain, understaffing, and broken promises.
The strike, which kicked off on November 1, has paralyzed services at over 91 federal and state facilities, affecting an estimated 11,000 resident doctors and forcing emergency wards to operate at skeletal levels. NARD President Dr. Muhammad Suleiman decried the government’s “persistent failure” to honor welfare commitments, including ₦38 billion in accumulated allowances, warning that the action—total, comprehensive, and indefinite—will persist until full resolution. In the Niger Delta, where facilities like the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital are ground zero for the disruptions, vulnerable communities—already battered by oil-related health crises—are bearing the brunt, with elective surgeries halted and maternal care compromised.
The Financial Lifeline: Breakdown of the Approval
In a statement from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Minister of State Dr. Iziaq Salako detailed the multi-pronged intervention, approved by President Bola Tinubu to expedite payments and avert a deeper crisis. The ₦11.99 billion tranche, slated for disbursement within 72 hours, targets outstanding arrears including the contentious accoutrement allowance—a hazard pay staple for frontline medics. This builds on prior releases:
- ₦10 billion (August 2025): Kickstarted payments for seven months of arrears from the 25-35% upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
- ₦21.3 billion (October 30, 2025): Transferred to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for immediate salary and allowance disbursements, with processing underway for NARD members.
- ₦10.6 billion (September 2025): Full funding for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), exclusively for resident doctors to support postgraduate training amid soaring workloads.
Salako, addressing a press conference in Abuja on November 3, claimed the government has cleared 60% of the arrears, appealing for the strike’s suspension to allow “uninterrupted delivery of quality healthcare.” He highlighted recruitment waivers for federal hospitals, with over 20,000 health workers hired in 2024 and 15,000 more slated for 2025, aiming to combat the “brain drain and excessive workloads” that have left Nigeria with just one neurosurgeon per 1.9 million people.
Negotiation Front: A Professional Mediator Steps In
To bridge the trust deficit, the ministry has enlisted Prof. Dafe Otobo, a labor relations expert, for mediated talks with NARD (an affiliate of the Nigerian Medical Association), the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM). Individual union meetings have occurred, culminating in a joint session on October 24, but Suleiman insists on “total settlement” before resumption, dismissing partial payments as insufficient amid the reclassification of West African Postgraduate Medical College certificates—a move NARD views as a downgrade.
Human Cost in the Delta and Beyond
In the Niger Delta, the strike exacerbates a dire health landscape scarred by pollution and limited access. Facilities in Bayelsa and Rivers States report zero elective procedures, with non-resident staff overwhelmed and private clinics hiking fees. “Patients are dying in queues for basic care,” lamented Dr. Ebiere Okoro, a Delta-based physician, echoing national outrage where dialysis centers and oncology units grind to a halt. The chaos has amplified calls for systemic reform, with critics like opposition figures decrying the “avoidable tragedy” of repeated strikes since 2023.
Yet, glimmers of progress persist: The MRTF infusion ensures training continuity, and recruitment could inject fresh talent into Delta hubs like the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa. As Salako put it, these steps reflect Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment” to the sector’s dignity. But with NARD unmoved, the 72-hour clock ticks—will it heal the rift, or deepen the wounds?
Niger Delta Herald stands with frontline heroes. Frontline workers: What’s your story amid this standoff? Comment below.
