President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to take urgent steps to end the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and ensure their immediate return to work.

Announcing this in Abuja, Dr. Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, said the President was deeply concerned about the disruption of medical services nationwide. He apologised to Nigerians affected by the strike and confirmed that Tinubu had ordered the ministry to do “everything possible and legitimate” to restore normal services.

Salako explained that the strike stemmed from disputes over a National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) circular issued in July, which caused divisions among health professionals. The circular has since been withdrawn to allow for a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process involving all major health unions.

He said the CBA committee had met 12 times since August but faced stalemates over remuneration relativity and the appointment of non-doctor health workers as consultants. A professor of industrial relations has been engaged as an external negotiator, and recommendations are being prepared.

On workforce reforms, Salako announced that:

• Over 14,000 health workers were recruited in 2024.
• An additional 23,000 will be recruited across 78 federal health institutions in 2025.
• The retirement age for clinical health workers has been raised to 65 years.
• ₦21.3 billion was released to clear outstanding arrears, with 60% already disbursed.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to long-term reforms and called on all stakeholders to support peaceful resolution and sustainable progress in the health sector.