Why We Are At Loggerheads With Resident Doctors -Salako

The Federal Government has explained why it is currently at loggerheads with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

This it said is attributable to what it called structural and policy issues rather than neglect.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the explanation on Tuesday during an interview on the AIT Kaakaki programme.

The minister who highlighted a ₦90 billion annual increase in health workers’ allowances as evidence of its commitment to industrial harmony in the sector, said that was part proof of commitment on the part of the government.

Stating that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare placed high priority on maintaining industrial peace and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery, he added however, it  it must balance workers’ demands with obligations to other sectors.

According to him, the Tinubu administration demonstrated  commitment in November 2025 by approving an upward review of professional allowances for health workers, adding nearly ₦90 billion to government expenditure annually.

The increment covers call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty and rural posting allowances and was reached through joint negotiations involving all health worker groups, a  release from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare credits the minister as stating.

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Dr. Salako explained that past negotiations were often fragmented, with different health professional groups engaging government separately, leading to conflicting agreements on pay parity and relativity and triggering repeated industrial actions. To address this, the Ministry initiated and adopted a collective bargaining approach, ensuring that doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and other health workers negotiated together.

The Minister said NARD’s requests have reduced from 19 to nine, indicating progress in talks, but that some outstanding demands are constrained by existing civil service rules and approved schemes of service.

He specifically addressed the demand for specialist allowance for resident doctors, noting that resident doctors are specialists-in-training and that current regulations reserve specialist allowances for consultants.

The Honourable Minister added that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had advised against extending the allowance to residents, warning it could create similar claims from other health workers undergoing specialist training.