The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) will on Wednesday hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to decide whether to proceed with a nationwide strike over unmet demands from the federal government.

The doctors had issued a 10-day ultimatum, warning of industrial action if their grievances were not addressed.

NARD, which represents the bulk of doctors in teaching and specialist hospitals across the country, has long protested unpaid wages, poor welfare, and inadequate working conditions. Experts warn that another strike could further cripple Nigeria’s fragile health system, forcing patients into costly private care and worsening outcomes.

In a communiqué issued on September 1 and signed by NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara; General Secretary, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku; and Publicity Secretary, Dr. Omoha Amobi, the association listed its key demands.

They include immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, settlement of five months’ arrears from the 25–35 percent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review, outstanding salary backlogs, and arrears of the 2024 accoutrement allowance.

Other demands are prompt payment of specialist allowances, recognition of West African postgraduate membership certificates, and resolution of welfare issues affecting doctors in Kaduna State and at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

Speaking (with The Punch) on Tuesday, Osundara said the outcome of today’s meeting would determine the association’s next step.

“If there is a positive response, it will guide our decision, but if not, the council will take a firm stance, including the possibility of industrial action,” he said.

NARD First Vice-President, Dr. Tajudeen Abdulrauf, added: “If the demands are not addressed, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony, and a strike remains likely. We have given multiple extensions in the spirit of dialogue, yet nothing has been done.”

The federal government says it has no immediate plans to enforce the 5 percent fuel surcharge included in the recently signed Tax Administration Act 2025.

Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, made the clarification on Tuesday during a news conference in Abuja following concerns raised by labour groups and the public.

On September 7, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) rejected the proposal, describing it as “economic wickedness” against already struggling Nigerians.

Edun explained that the surcharge was not a new tax introduced by the Bola Tinubu administration but a long-standing provision first introduced under the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Act of 2007. Its inclusion in the 2025 Act, he said, was aimed at consolidating existing laws for clarity and compliance.

“The inclusion of the surcharge in the 2025 Nigeria Tax Administration Act does not mean an automatic introduction of a new tax,” Edun said. “There is a formal process involved. As of today, no commencement order has been issued, none is being prepared, and there is no plan to implement it immediately.”

The minister noted that the law would not take effect until January 1, 2026, and even then, implementation would require an official gazette from the Ministry of Finance.

Edun added that the broader tax reform effort seeks to modernise Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, block leakages, improve efficiency, and foster investor confidence — not to increase burdens on citizens.

“This government is fully aware of the economic pressures of the time and will not take decisions that will make things even more burdensome,” he assured.

The minister also stressed that moving from legislation to implementation would require significant preparation, including institutional realignment, capacity building, and nationwide public sensitisation.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its planned strike action following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the management of the Dangote Refinery.

The agreement, dated September 8, was signed by key representatives including Sayyu Dantata, Managing Director of Dangote Group; Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); and Nuhu Toro, General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

According to the MoU, both parties affirmed that workers have the right to unionise under Nigerian labour laws. The Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals management agreed to allow employees who are willing to join unions to do so, with the process expected to begin immediately and conclude within two weeks (September 9–22, 2025).

The agreement also specifies that no parallel unions will be established, and no worker will face victimisation as a result of the strike notice or their participation in union activities. Both sides also pledged to brief the Minister of Labour a week after the process concludes.

“Based on the MoU, NUPENG agreed to suspend the industrial action with immediate effect,” the union announced.

NUPENG had earlier declared plans to begin a nationwide strike on September 8 in protest against alleged anti-union practices at the Dangote Refinery.