Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court in Abuja has granted an interim order restraining the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from proceeding with the indefinite strike scheduled to begin at midnight on January 12, 2026.
The ex-parte order was issued on Friday following an urgent application filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation.
The ruling prohibits NARD, its National President Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, Secretary General Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, and all members or officials from embarking on any form of industrial action, including strike, work stoppage, slowdown, picketing, or related protests.
The decision comes just days after NARD announced on January 3 that it would resume its “Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0)” tagged “No Implementation, No Going Back” due to the Federal Government’s alleged failure to fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in late November 2025.
That MoU had prompted the suspension of an earlier 29-day strike on November 29, 2025, with the government committing to address the doctors’ demands within four weeks.
Among the key outstanding demands listed by NARD are:
- Reinstatement of five resident doctors earlier dismissed from Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
- Payment of outstanding promotion arrears and salary arrears.
- Full implementation of the agreed professional allowance table, including capture of arrears in the 2026 budget.
- Reintroduction and payment of specialist allowances.
- Resolution of delays and arrears in house officers’ salaries.
- Official clarification on entry-level placement and skipping issues
- Timely issuance of membership certificates by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria after Part I examinations.
- Establishment and activation of locum and work-hours regulation committees.
- Speedy conclusion of the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement process.
The court’s interim injunction will remain in force until the substantive motion on notice is heard on January 21, 2026.
The ruling aims to prevent any immediate disruption to healthcare services across public hospitals nationwide while the parties seek a lasting resolution to the long-standing welfare concerns of resident doctors.
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