by George Ozalla
The Federal Government has approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, seeking to restrain resident doctors from embarking on a planned nationwide strike billed to commence on January 12, a move that has further exposed longstanding tensions between successive governments and medical professionals over unfulfilled agreements.
The suit, filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, names the National Association of Resident Doctors, its President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, and Secretary General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, as defendants. The government is asking the court to compel the doctors to suspend the proposed industrial action pending the resolution of the dispute.
On Friday, Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim granted an interim order restraining the association and its members from embarking on the strike or taking steps capable of disrupting healthcare services nationwide, pending the hearing of a substantive motion scheduled for later this month.
The planned strike follows the expiration of ultimatums issued by the doctors after what they described as repeated failures by the Federal Government to fully implement a Memorandum of Understanding signed on November 27, 2025, which led to the suspension of an earlier strike. According to the association, several deadlines agreed during negotiations were missed without explanation.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the association, NARD President Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman said the decision to resume industrial action was taken after months of “unproductive engagements” with government representatives. He listed unresolved issues to include unpaid promotion arrears, delays in the adjustment of professional allowances, non-reinstatement of disengaged doctors, irregular salary payments to house officers, and poor working conditions in public hospitals.
“Our members have shown restraint and patience. Unfortunately, promises have not translated into action, and the situation in many hospitals continues to deteriorate,” Suleiman said.
The current standoff fits into a familiar pattern in Nigeria’s health sector, where agreements reached after strikes are often only partially implemented or abandoned altogether. Medical unions argue that this cycle has eroded trust and left industrial action as the only tool available to force compliance.
Health policy analysts warn that frequent court interventions, rather than sustained implementation of agreements, have worsened relations between government and healthcare workers. They note that previous injunctions have rarely addressed the root causes of the disputes, leading to renewed strikes months later.
The impact of such industrial actions has been severe for patients, particularly those who rely on public hospitals. Past nationwide strikes have resulted in the shutdown of outpatient services, delayed surgeries, overcrowded emergency units, and increased financial pressure on families forced to seek care in private facilities.
Government officials, however, insist that efforts are being made to address the doctors’ concerns. Officials at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have cited budgetary constraints, verification processes, and bureaucratic bottlenecks as reasons for delays, while maintaining that funds have been earmarked in the 2026 budget to address some of the demands.
Despite the court order, several resident doctors’ chapters across teaching hospitals have expressed dissatisfaction, warning that legal action does not resolve structural problems within the system. Some have described the injunction as another attempt to suppress grievances rather than engage meaningfully with them.
The matter has now shifted to the courtroom, but observers say the deeper issue remains whether the government will break the cycle of unmet commitments that has repeatedly pushed doctors to the brink, or whether Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system will once again bear the cost of unresolved labour disputes.
