The Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) resident doctors have announced it decision to begin an indefinite strike, which will start on Monday, in response to what was described as the authorities’ disregard for their requests.
“The Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA, at its Emergency General Meeting held on 14th September 2025, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8:00 am, Monday, 15th September 2025,” the association said in a statement by the General Secretary, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FCTA, Agbor Affiong.
“This action follows the failure of Management to address any of our legitimate demands, even after a one-week warning strike.”
In a statement released late Sunday, the doctors pledged to keep up the action “until government and management show genuine commitment to the welfare of doctors and the health of FCT residents.”
Recall that the ARD-FCTA launched a seven-day warning strike last week to emphasise its demands for improved working conditions and entitlement nonpayment. The resident doctors also voiced concerns about inadequate welfare and a shortage of personnel.
They lamented that resident doctors were suffering as a result of these development. ARD-FCTA vowed to go on indefinite strike if their complaints were not addressed through “meaningful dialogue” within a few days.
“There will be a reassessment by the Congress, and hopefully, the dialogue is going to be meaningful. And if it’s not meaningful, then the Congress will not have a choice but to impose an indefinite strike,” the group’s chairman, George Ebong, said during last Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show.
He bemoaned the shortage of personnel, pointing out that the FCT has 14 general and district hospitals. However, one doctor is now responsible for dozens of patients due to the lack of specialists and physicians.
“We’re going to need as much as 200 or thereabouts [doctors]. We don’t even have anything close to that,” Ebong said.
“We have a doctor seeing more than 30 patients, 40 patients. We have a doctor doing up to 10 caesarean sections,” he said. “We have doctors who are on antidepressants. We have doctors who are on anti-hypertensives.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) has suspended its ongoing five-day warning strike after just two days, granting the Federal Government a two-week grace period to meet its demands.
The association said it would reconvene on September 26 during its Annual General Meeting to decide whether to resume the industrial action.
NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara, said the decision was reached to show goodwill to Nigerians and to allow the government time to address lingering welfare issues affecting doctors.
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