FG Launches Committees to Fix Doctors’ Workload, Certification Crisis
Koko Maxwella 
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government is taking fresh steps to end long-running disputes over resident doctors’ workload, locum engagement and residency training certification, as pressure mounts to stabilise Nigeria’s fragile health sector.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, inaugurated two ministerial committees in Abuja on Thursday, saying excessive duty hours and unclear training pathways continue to strain relations between government and health unions.
“Prolonged work hours endanger the physical and mental wellbeing of healthcare workers and pose serious risks to patient safety,” Salako says. “These issues persist despite significant recruitment efforts.”
According to the minister, the government employs more than 14,000 health workers in 2024 and approves over 23,000 new recruitments in 2025, with more than 70 per cent being clinical staff. However, he admits that locum arrangements remain inconsistent and, in some cases, abused.
The first committee reviews and standardises duty hours and locum practices across public hospitals. It will conduct a nationwide assessment, consult stakeholders and propose a national framework covering safe work hours, mandatory rest periods and clearer routes to permanent employment. The panel is expected to submit its report within 12 weeks.
The second committee focuses on residency training certification and recategorisation concerns raised by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD). It will review existing policies, including demands for the issuance of membership certificates after Part One examinations. Its findings are due within eight weeks.
Salako assures health workers that recommendations from both committees will receive priority attention, describing the move as part of a renewed commitment to improving welfare, reducing industrial actions and strengthening patient safety nationwide.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Hussaini Ibrahim 