Gbajabiamila Brokers Deal As Resident Doctors Set To Suspend Planned Strike

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday brokered a breakthrough agreement between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), paving the way for the suspension of the association’s planned nationwide strike.

The resolution followed a three-hour meeting convened by Gbajabiamila at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where both sides agreed on timelines for resolving outstanding issues relating to salaries, promotions, allowances and other welfare concerns.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, NARD President Dr Muhammad Suleiman expressed confidence that the intervention had largely addressed the grievances that prompted the association’s threat of a strike.

“Today, I can tell you, our matters are solved,” Suleiman said, noting that the government had committed to implementing agreed timelines on key demands.

He, however, said the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) would make the final decision on whether to formally suspend the planned industrial action.

“I can’t stand here and tell you I have called off a strike. I have National Executive Council members. I will have a conversation. I have to report all of this back. We sit down. We have made a decision,” he said.

Suleiman praised Gbajabiamila for his consistent intervention in disputes involving resident doctors, saying his involvement had always yielded positive outcomes.

“This is not the first time the Chief of Staff has intervened in matters relating to resident doctors in this country. About six or seven years ago, when he became Speaker, it was his first opportunity to intervene, and he has done so ever since. Whenever he came into our issues, our matters were solved,” he stated.

The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Labour, Health and Finance, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and officials overseeing cash management and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Suleiman disclosed that the parties agreed on timelines for implementing salary adjustments and promotions, and for resolving the lingering meal allowance issue at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

“We have agreed on a figure. We have agreed on numbers,” he said, adding that implementation of some of the agreements would begin within a week.

He also announced that the Chief of Staff had directed that house officers should no longer experience prolonged salary delays.

“He has given a standing order that before the 10th of every month, salaries of house officers must be paid,” Suleiman said.

On the Collective Bargaining Agreement between NARD and the Federal Government, he said the Presidency directed the Ministries of Labour and Health to fast-track negotiations so that the agreed terms could be reflected in the 2027 budget.

Beyond remuneration, Suleiman revealed that discussions also focused on the growing incidence of attacks on health workers across the country.

According to him, the Ministry of Health will issue directives to hospitals to strengthen security and launch public awareness campaigns against assaults on health personnel.

He further disclosed that Gbajabiamila had undertaken to champion legislation that would classify assault on health workers as an aggravated offence.

“The Chief of Staff has taken it upon himself to introduce legislation so that the National Assembly can come in with something that will assault health workers as an aggravated offence. We are very glad with that. We think it will send the right signal that health workers should not be assaulted,” Suleiman said.

The NARD president also explained that discussions covered the outstanding arrears of hazard and specialist allowances, noting that although the Tinubu administration corrected the payment structure in February 2026, a 19-month backlog dating back to July 2024 remains unresolved.

He said the Budget Office would provide a payment timeline after reconciling the outstanding figures.

The meeting came days after NARD threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from 10 August over unpaid salary arrears, welfare issues and other unresolved agreements with the Federal Government.