Mirian Gom 
National President, NARD, Dr. Tope Osundara
ABUJA, Nigeria – The strike by resident doctors in Abuja has entered its 11th day, with no response from Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said Thursday.
NARD President Dr. Tope Osundara told Africa Health Report that the minister has yet to meet doctors or initiate dialogue. “He has not even met with us. If he had, we would have at least understood his promises and timelines. Instead, we have silence,” Osundara said.
The association insists all hospitals remain fully shut. “Until government takes our welfare concerns seriously, we cannot reopen emergency units or critical wards,” Osundara added.
NARD highlighted long-standing grievances: non-payment of arrears for about 28 doctors, salary delays stretching up to a year, and acute staff shortages in Abuja hospitals. The strike, which followed a seven-day warning action, has worsened fears of increased morbidity and mortality in the capital.
“It is not good for citizens already suffering economic hardship to face a total health shutdown. The minister must urgently intervene to protect lives and Nigeria’s image,” Osundara warned.
Doctors had earlier met Wike’s Chief of Staff but said progress stalled. They called on “well-meaning Nigerians” to press the minister into talks.
With no breakthrough, the strike remains indefinite. Abuja residents now face closed clinics, suspended surgeries, and growing anxiety over worsening access to care.
About the Author
Hussaini Ibrahim 
