The Nigerian Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako has attributed the ongoing standoff with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to structural and policy limitations, not neglect, as it seeks to maintain industrial peace in the health sector.
The Minister disclosed in an interview on the AIT Kaakaki programme that the Federal Government recently approved a ₦90 billion annual increase in allowances for health workers to curb recurring strikes.
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare places high priority on industrial peace and uninterrupted healthcare delivery,” Dr. Salako said, noting that salary demands must be balanced with other national obligations such as education, security, and infrastructure.
He explained that the allowance increment, approved in November 2025, covers call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty, and rural posting allowances, and was achieved through negotiations involving all health worker categories.
“To address this, the Ministry adopted a collective bargaining framework, bringing doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and other health professionals to the negotiating table together,” he said.
Dr. Salako added that NARD’s demands have been reduced from 19 to nine, but some requests are constrained by civil service rules and approved schemes of service. On specialist allowances, he clarified, “Residents are specialists-in-training…current regulations reserve specialist allowances for consultants.”
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He also defended government action on certification, saying the National Postgraduate Medical College does not issue certificates after Part I examinations, a policy beyond the Ministry’s authority.
On the disengagement of five resident doctors in Lokoja, Dr. Salako explained that “a Ministerial review committee recommended the reinstatement of two doctors, reprimand for two others, and a fresh disciplinary hearing for one, in line with due process.”
Acknowledging public frustration over strikes, he noted that such industrial actions are common globally, citing similar disputes in the United Kingdom and Europe.
He assured Nigerians that the Ministry, alongside the Federal Ministry of Labour, “remains committed to sustained dialogue aimed at stabilising the health sector, ensuring industrial harmony and preventing future disruptions to healthcare services.”
