Nigeria's healthcare system could be heading for another major disruption as resident doctors across the country have threatened to shut down services indefinitely beginning August 10 over unpaid entitlements, worsening welfare conditions and what they describe as government inaction.

The warning was issued by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) following a week-long National Executive Council meeting in Gombe, where members reviewed the state of negotiations with the Federal Government and the growing challenges facing healthcare workers nationwide.

After months of discussions and repeated extensions of strike deadlines, the association said its patience was running out. NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, told journalists that despite several assurances from authorities, many agreements reached with the government remain unimplemented.

According to the association, doctors are still being owed various salary-related payments, including arrears from the 25 to 35 per cent CONMESS salary adjustment, promotion benefits and 19 months of outstanding professional allowances.

The association said doctors in several federal health institutions have been affected by the delays. Among the facilities named were the University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Okuki; Federal Medical Centre, Owo; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri; Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki; and Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.

Beyond the financial issues, NARD painted a troubling picture of the working environment confronting healthcare professionals. The association lamented what it described as a rising wave of harassment, intimidation and physical attacks on doctors and other health workers while carrying out their duties.

It warned that the growing insecurity within hospitals is discouraging healthcare personnel and further weakening a system already struggling with manpower shortages. To tackle the problem, the association called for a national framework to protect healthcare workers and urged lawmakers to criminalise assaults against medical personnel.

The doctors also expressed concern over the welfare of house officers, many of whom reportedly face months-long delays before receiving salaries after employment. NARD said bureaucratic bottlenecks in internship placement and onboarding processes continue to leave young doctors financially stranded despite actively working in hospitals.

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Although the association acknowledged the release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund by the Federal Government, it insisted that all eligible doctors omitted from the initial payment exercise must be accommodated without delay.

The council further demanded the immediate implementation of the Medical and Health Workers Collective Bargaining Agreement and called for urgent action to address excessive workloads caused by severe shortages of healthcare personnel across the country.

Attention was also drawn to the lingering industrial dispute at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, with NARD urging the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to step in before the situation escalates further.

The association called on both federal and state governments to prioritise healthcare investment through improved funding, modern equipment, rehabilitation of facilities, stable electricity supply and aggressive recruitment of medical personnel.

NARD warned that failure to address these concerns could worsen the mass departure of doctors from Nigeria. The association disclosed that more than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have relocated abroad within the last three to four years in search of better pay and working conditions.

According to the doctors, the country is now losing medical professionals faster than it can replace them, with the number leaving the profession or emigrating exceeding the number graduating from medical schools annually.

With less than two weeks before the deadline, NARD says the next move rests with the government. Unless substantial progress is made on the outstanding issues, resident doctors nationwide are expected to begin a total and indefinite strike from 8:00 a.m. on August 10, raising fears of another major setback for healthcare delivery across the country.