The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja, has restrained the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from embarking on a strike scheduled to begin on January 12.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim issued the restraining order on Friday while ruling on a motion ex parte filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The motion was moved by the Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami Shiru, who led a team of ministry lawyers in presenting the government’s case.
Listed as respondents in the motion and defendants in the substantive suit are NARD, its National President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, and its Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The order follows NARD’s January 3 announcement of plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0) from January 12, citing the Federal Government’s alleged failure to implement agreements reached with the association.
In a statement issued after an Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on January 2, NARD said the decision was prompted by the government’s failure to meet multiple deadlines for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with resident doctors.
According to the association, the NEC resolved to resume TICS 2.0 under the theme “No Implementation, No Going Back,” with effect from 12:00 a.m. on January 12, 2026.
As part of preparations for the planned industrial action, NARD directed presidents of its 91 centres nationwide to hold congress meetings and address the media, with 91 press conferences scheduled within seven days to highlight doctors’ welfare concerns.
The association also announced plans for centre-based protests from January 12 to January 16, to be followed by regional and national protests coordinated by its National Officers’ Committee.
NARD said the suspension of the strike would only be reconsidered after the full implementation of its minimum demands.
The association had earlier suspended an indefinite strike on November 29, after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of the MoU, in which the government committed to meeting its demands within four weeks.
Those demands include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget.
Other demands involve clarification on skipping and entry-level issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; reintroduction of the specialist allowance; resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears; issuance of a pay advisory; re-categorisation and issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria; commencement of locum and work-hours regulation committees; and the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
NARD explained that the one-week notice before the planned strike was intended to allow time for congress meetings, media engagement, and statutory notifications to security agencies and hospital managements.
