Government Announces Immediate Payment to Address Arrears for Health Workers
The Nigerian Federal Government has announced plans to release N11.9 billion within 72 hours to settle part of the salary and allowance arrears owed to medical professionals. This move comes in response to growing concerns from health workers, particularly those represented by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), who have been on an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to meet their demands.
Alaba Balogun, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday. According to Balogun, President Bola Tinubu has directed the expedited payment of arrears to health workers, including members of NARD.
The government had previously released N10 billion in August 2025 to begin paying seven months’ worth of arrears resulting from a 25-35 percent salary review for health workers. This was part of the initiative to address the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
Following the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for these arrears to be paid expeditiously, as of Thursday, October 30, another sum of N21.3 billion has been moved to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System account, and payment has commenced. Additionally, the sum of N11.995 billion is being processed for release within 72 hours to pay other arrears, including accoutrement allowance. All these payments are being enjoyed by members of NARD in accordance with the salary structure in the health sector.
The Federal Government has also released N10.6 billion as of September 2025 as full payment for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, which is paid exclusively to resident doctors nationwide.
Recruitment Drive to Address Staff Shortages
To address the strain caused by brain drain and prolonged working hours, the ministry disclosed that the Federal Government had granted special waivers for the massive recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary institutions. Over 20,000 health workers have been employed across 58 federal institutions, with another 15,000 approved for 2025.
Balogun further revealed that N10.6 billion had been disbursed for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), while negotiations continue with health unions to resolve outstanding issues.
Ongoing Collective Bargaining Discussions
Collective bargaining discussions are ongoing with the Nigerian Medical Association, where NARD is an affiliate, the Joint Health Sector Unions, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives. To deepen dialogue and proffer solutions to controversial issues that arose in the course of the CBA, the Ministry has engaged a professional negotiator who is a Professor of Industrial Relations, Prof. Dafe Otobo, to facilitate further constructive engagements between government and union leaders, with the active involvement of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The negotiator has since met with all the unions individually. A joint meeting of the unions with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with the negotiator, has also taken place as of Thursday, October 24, 2025. All these efforts are aimed at facilitating decisions at the CBA and ensuring comprehensive, universally discussed, and agreed solutions to the agitations of health workers, which have been missing in recent past negotiations.
Discussions are progressing on all the points raised by the health unions, including NARD, an affiliate of NMA. Such issues include specialist and other allowances, salary relativity, appointment of consultant cadre in our hospitals, and other welfare-related issues. The Ministry of Labour and Productivity has expressed its readiness to conclude the collective bargaining process once consensus is reached.