The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced the temporary suspension of its indefinite strike, which had severely impacted healthcare services in Abuja. The decision was disclosed on Friday by Dr. George Ebong, President of ARD-FCTA, following significant interventions by the Senate. Members of the association are expected to resume their duties on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 8 a.m., signaling a conditional truce after weeks of industrial action.

The strike, which escalated into an indefinite shutdown, began on Monday, September 15, after months of failed negotiations with FCTA management. Hospitals across the FCT experienced an eerie silence, with wards emptied, many patients discharged prematurely, and pregnant women, children, and elderly patients left stranded as doctors withdrew their services. This drastic measure followed the expiration of a seven-day warning strike, during which doctors expressed their frustration over long-standing grievances that they claimed had been repeatedly ignored despite numerous engagements with authorities.

At the core of the doctors’ demands are critical issues related to their welfare and the functionality of the healthcare system. These include unpaid salary arrears, with some members employed since 2023 having not received salaries for up to six months. They also called for the immediate recruitment of new staff to alleviate the burden on existing personnel, the prompt settlement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and the payment of arrears from the 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure. Further grievances listed in their communique encompassed continuous erroneous deductions from members’ salaries, irregular payments, delayed promotions, and the failure to convert post-Part II Fellows to Consultant cadre within the stipulated six months.

The turning point for the strike came with the intervention of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Federal Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, chaired by Senator David Jimkuta (Taraba South). During an emergency meeting held on Thursday with leaders of the FCT chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which presumably encompasses ARD-FCTA members, Senator Jimkuta appealed to the doctors to return to work, acknowledging the legitimacy of their concerns. He pledged to personally take up the matter with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, emphasizing the severe toll the strike was taking on patients reliant on public healthcare facilities. Jimkuta commended the doctors for their patriotism, noting that their demands were not selfish but aimed at strengthening the nation’s crumbling health system.

Despite the suspension, Dr. Ebong clarified that none of the doctors’ demands had been met as of the announcement. He stated that the Congress decided to temporarily suspend the strike based on the Senate’s assurances that they would engage with the Minister. The ARD leadership also expressed appreciation for Minister Wike’s interventions. However, the suspension is strictly temporary, with Dr. Ebong stressing that the doctors’ demands remain unresolved. He warned that the Congress would reassemble to reassess the interventions within an agreed timeframe, and if no concrete action is taken, they would consider further industrial action.

The National President of NARD, Dr. Zenith Osundara, during discussions with senators, reiterated that previous strike suspensions had been made in good faith, allowing for negotiations that yielded little progress. He highlighted the ongoing issues of under-equipped hospitals, which put patients at risk and exacerbate the burden on medical personnel, contributing to the persistent brain drain in the medical sector. In response, the Senate Committee requested detailed statistics, including the number of affected personnel and monetary values of unpaid allowances, to strengthen their case to the executive. As a collaborative next step, lawmakers proposed a joint session with the FCT health administration to facilitate dialogue and reach a lasting resolution.