The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0) beginning Monday, January 12, 2026, over the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement a previously signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The association made the announcement on Saturday in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), signed by its President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, following resolutions reached at an Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on Friday.
NARD had last week warned of an imminent nationwide disruption of medical services if the Federal Government failed to honour the terms of the MoU signed after the suspension of its previous strike in November.
According to the statement, the renewed industrial action—tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back”—will commence at 12:00 a.m. on January 12, 2026, unless the government meets the association’s outstanding demands.
“The decision to resume TICS 2.0 is the inevitable consequence of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government’s continued disregard for multiple deadlines agreed upon for the implementation of the MoU,” the association said.
As part of preparations for the renewed strike, the NEC directed presidents of all 91 NARD centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and subsequently address the media.
“The National Officers’ Committee appreciates the patience, resilience, and unwavering support of our members in this collective struggle for doctors’ welfare,” the statement read.
It added:
“Following the E-NEC meeting, NEC resolved to resume TICS 2.0, tagged ‘No Implementation, No Going Back,’ effective January 12, 2026, by 12:00 a.m. NEC has also mandated every centre president across the 91 centres to hold congress meetings and address the media thereafter.”
NARD said the directive will result in 91 press conferences across the country within seven days, aimed at drawing public attention to unresolved welfare issues affecting resident doctors.
In addition, the association announced centre-based protests scheduled to run from January 12 to January 16, 2026, followed by regional protests coordinated by caucus leaders and a national protest organised by the NARD National Officers’ Committee.
“We will resume TICS 2.0 on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. Centre-based protests will take place from January 12 to 16, 2026. This will be followed by regional protests and a national protest organised by the NARD NOC,” the statement said.
The association stressed that any consideration for suspending the strike would only occur after the full implementation of its minimum demands.
NARD recalled that it suspended its last indefinite strike on November 29, 2025, after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of the MoU, which committed the government to meeting its demands within four weeks.
Key demands include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.
Other demands include official clarification on skipping and entry-level placement by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; the reintroduction and implementation of the specialist allowance; resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears; and the issuance of a pay advisory.
NARD is also calling for the re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees, and the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.
The association explained that the one-week notice period before the strike is intended to allow adequate time for congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as hospital managements nationwide.
About the Author
