The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is set to resume its suspended nationwide industrial action on January 12.
The body warned that its members will return to full-scale protests and service withdrawal if the federal government does not fully implement its longstanding demands, reports The Nation.
The decision followed an expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Friday, January 2, after which members were briefed via the association’s official X platform, where the President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, addressed medical and dental trainees and signed off on behalf of the National Officers Committee (NOC).
In the update, the president unveiled a renewed action plan tagged TICS 2.0 with the slogan “No Implementation, No Going Back.”
According to the resolution, NARD will resume TICS 2.0 at exactly 12.00 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, unless its minimum demands are fully met.
The NEC said the suspension of TICS 2.0 would only be considered after full implementation of the nine minimum demands.
These include the reinstatement of the five doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears; and full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.
Other demands are official clarification on skipping and entry-level placement issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives; reintroduction and implementation of the Specialist Allowance; resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears with issuance of a formal pay advisory; re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria; commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees; and resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
NARD explained that the one-week window before the resumption of action was deliberately designed to allow proper congress meetings, extensive media engagement and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as hospital managements across the country.
The NOC said it fully aligns with the NEC resolutions and assured members of its commitment to implementing all directives, noting that engagements with relevant authorities would be intensified in the coming days.
As part of preparations, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and immediately follow up with press conferences to explain the grievances and resolutions to the public.
The association said the objective is to dominate public discourse on doctors’ welfare across the country within the next seven days.
In addition, the NEC approved centre-based protests to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026.
These will be followed by regional protests coordinated at caucus leaders’ level, culminating in a national protest to be organised by the NARD National Officers Committee.
The association urged doctors to remain calm, united and focused as it presses ahead with what it described as a decisive phase in the struggle for improved welfare and a more functional health system.
