Judicial Injunction Freezes Doctors’ Strike Plan
By HALIMA TAKWAS
Court Stops Planned Resident Doctors’ Strike Pending Hearing
THE National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from embarking on any form of industrial action, including strikes, go-slows, picketing, or preparatory protests, from Monday 12 January 2026.
Justice E. D. Subilim ordered that the injunction remain in effect pending the hearing of a motion scheduled for 21 January. The suit was instituted by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Government against NARD, its president, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, and Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The court’s decision comes amid heightened tensions in the health sector following NARD’s declaration of a nationwide strike over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 27 November 2025.
Resident doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, had publicly endorsed the planned strike, citing unresolved welfare and training issues. Their grievances include the non-reinstatement of five disengaged resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, unpaid promotion and salary arrears, incomplete implementation of the Professional Allowance Table, and deteriorating hospital infrastructure.
Despite the court order, NARD had earlier insisted there was no intention to suspend the planned industrial action. Speaking in Abuja, Dr. Suleiman said the withdrawal of services was driven by unmet commitments and worsening working conditions, rejecting claims that the strike was politically motivated.
He challenged the Federal Government to account for the alleged ₦90 billion earmarked in the 2026 budget for professional allowances, insisting that none of the association’s demands had been meaningfully addressed.
While NARD says it remains open to dialogue and has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for intervention, it warned that failure to take concrete action could still lead to widespread disruption of healthcare services.
