The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Mohammed Suleiman, has warned that doctors across the country will no longer work under slave-like conditions, as the association has directed its members to limit call duties to a maximum of 24 hours beginning October 1.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, Dr Suleiman explained that the new directive is part of measures to address burnout, poor welfare, and mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria. He also revealed that the association has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the federal government to act on its demands.
“If you look at the statistics, in the last 10 years, we have lost close to 15,000 to 16,000 doctors from this country to other countries,” he said. “Ten years ago, the federal government, due to one of our actions, sacked about 15,000 doctors on one strike. But they brought all of us back.
“That was in 2014. Today, the number of resident doctors in federal institutions stands just above 8,000. When you consider Nigeria’s population of over 240 million—and some models even suggest closer to 300 million—it means we have just about 10,000 to 11,000 resident doctors in the whole country. That is simply inadequate.”
Dr Suleiman warned that the shortage has forced doctors to take on unsafe workloads.
“You now see doctors taking 22, 25, even 30 days of call duty in a month. For instance, in the orthopaedics department of a federal teaching hospital, one doctor is listed for 31 calls this October. Is it really feasible to expect such a burnt-out doctor to give their best care? Their mental health, physical health, and patients’ safety are all at risk.”
He said the decision to limit calls followed NARD’s annual general meeting in Katsina, where members unanimously resolved that “doctors are not slaves” and must prioritise their wellbeing.
“Enough is enough. The burnout is real, the excess workload is real, and the federal government has not matched our conversations with action. From October 1, no doctor should be compelled to take more than 24 hours of call at a stretch. If any hospital insists otherwise, it is simply endangering the life of that doctor,” he stated.
The NARD president also outlined a series of unresolved welfare issues, accusing the government of neglect.
“Medical officers promoted over the past five years have not been paid their arrears. An adjustment to the salary table made in 2023 has not been implemented. An allowance introduced between 2024 and 2025 has not been paid for six months. House officers do not even have payslips, and we suspect allowances have been withheld for about five years. These are serious injustices.”
On the ultimatum, Dr Suleiman clarified:
“The 30-day ultimatum started counting from our press conference on September 27. At the end of it, I will report back to our National Executive Council. If they instruct me to continue discussions with government, I will. But if they say we must shut down until something is done, then I will have no option but to shut down.”
He recalled that NARD has lost colleagues to exhaustion.
“In early September, a young doctor died after three straight days of call duty. He went to his room to rest and never woke up. He is now just another statistic. This is exactly why we are saying enough is enough.”
Beyond welfare and allowances, Dr Suleiman argued that poor pay is fuelling the brain drain.
“Doctors in Nigeria are not earning 2 million naira annually as some reports claim. I am a senior registrar, and I can assure you I do not take home 2 million. Meanwhile, doctors in the UK earn over 50 million naira annually, and in the US it is up to 90 million. In Australia, resident doctors earn between 85 and 120 million naira annually.
“If Nigeria improves salaries and incentives—housing schemes, car loans, proper health insurance—I know many doctors abroad who would return immediately. We are not asking for 90 million naira; we are asking for something realistic and fair.”
He criticised the slow pace of government reforms, citing the stalled collective bargaining process due to the Ministry of Health’s failure to clarify issues around call duty allowance.
Asked how the reduced call hours would affect patients, Dr Suleiman insisted the policy would improve patient care rather than diminish it.
“There are moral, ethical, and even legal questions here. But I would prefer Nigerians be consulted by doctors who are well rested, well compensated, and able to give their best, rather than doctors who are collapsing from exhaustion.”
Dr Suleiman concluded by urging government to act decisively:
“The options before us are simple. We either face reality, improve welfare, remuneration and working conditions, or we continue to lose doctors and put patients’ lives at risk. The association is willing to talk, but the federal government must bring something concrete to the table.”
Boluwatife Enome
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