Nigeria’s nationwide strike by resident doctors has entered its fifth day, with no signs of slowing down despite government appeals. Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, urged the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend the action, noting that the government has cleared roughly 60 percent of arrears owed to health workers.

But NARD President, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, maintains that the industrial action will continue until all long-standing demands are met. These include unpaid promotion arrears, upgrade arrears, and accoutrement allowances—some pending for more than five years.

Suleiman emphasized the need for deeper dialogue, insisting that partial payments do not address the fundamental issues affecting health workers across the country.

For now, hospitals remain strained, and negotiations appear stalled as resident doctors push for a comprehensive resolution.