Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Resident doctors at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, have vowed to begin a one-week warning strike over what they describe as intolerable welfare conditions.
“The congress resolved that the association shall embark on a one-week warning strike commencing 8 am on Monday, July 7, 2025, and will proceed on an indefinite strike should the newly employed residents not be paid by the end of July,” the communiqué stated, describing the situation as detrimental to both doctors’ welfare and clinical practice at the hospital.
In a communiqué issued on Friday, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), through its President, Babarinsa O. A., and Secretary, Disu K. B., lamented that newly employed residents have been working for nearly six months without pay.
“It is unacceptable for new residents to continue working into their sixth month without receiving their salaries,” the statement read.
The aggrieved doctors condemned what they called a “now-established pattern” where new resident doctors endure months of unpaid labour before receiving their first salaries. They argued that this situation has persisted for years despite several attempts to resolve it.
“The congress expressed disappointment that management has allowed this issue to persist for several years, despite repeated engagements,” the communiqué noted, adding that this challenge was not common in other training institutions across the country.
The ARD has warned that if the newly employed doctors are not paid by the end of July 2025, they will escalate the action into an indefinite strike.
