The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has granted the Federal Government it’s 24 hours request to address the demands under contention, especially payment for the 2023/2024 Accoutrement Allowance and reversal of downgrading of the membership certificate of the West African College Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The President of NARD, Dr. Tope Osundara who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday, noted that the nationwide strike that was earlier scheduled to comm NVR today, 11th September 2025, was placed on hold out of goodwill.
According to him, the decision was reached following a six-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council, (NEC) held virtually, after a meeting earlier with the minister’s of Finance, Health and Labour on Wednesday in Abuja.
Speaking on demands requiring immediate attention, he said: “Government should address squarely, this downgrading. We do not want it and we have told them so it is up to them to look into it and address the matter within this space of 24 hours.
“Members have expressed displeasure over their job and downgrading of the membership certificate of the West African College of Physicians and Surgeons by the MDCN so we have told them that they should reverse this downgrading.
“The other one that government can quickly do is the Accoutrement allowance. If that seven months arrears of Accoutrement Allowance is not paid, I fear what may happen.”
Asked if the 24 hours Grace of Goodwill would expire today, he said, “It’s not going to expire today. The coordinating Minister, the Minister of Labour, finance had called us to a meeting and made some promises to us.
“The strike was suppose to have started by today so they asked us to give them 24 hours since we have seen a goodwill from them, we can reciprocate the goodwill and allow them the 24 hours gap for them to address the issue.”
The fresh 24-hour ultimatum follows the expiration of NARD’s earlier 10-day deadline on September 10.
In a communiqué issued on September 1, 2025, and signed by NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara; General Secretary, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Omoha Amobi, the doctors demanded 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, and other long-standing salary backlogs.
In addition, they called on the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to issue membership certificates to all deserving candidates, implement the 2024 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, resolve outstanding welfare issues in Kaduna State, and address the plight of resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
