The Association of Resident Doctors of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has declared an indefinite strike, set to commence at 12 midnight on Saturday, November 1, 2025, over unresolved welfare and administrative concerns affecting its members.
The decision was conveyed in a letter dated October 30, 2025, addressed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and signed by the association’s President, Dr. George Ebong, and General Secretary, Dr. Agbor Affiong.
The letter, made available to journalists on Friday, came shortly after the national body of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced its own indefinite strike to begin the same day.
According to the ARD-FCTA, even if the national body suspends or calls off its strike, the association will continue with its own action until all locally related grievances are addressed.
The group said the strike became necessary due to long-standing welfare issues that have remained unresolved despite multiple engagements with the authorities.
The development is expected to further strain healthcare delivery across the FCT, where resident doctors form the bulk of the medical workforce in public hospitals.
The ARD-FCTA, which comprises doctors in 14 district and general hospitals under the FCTA, including the Department of Public Health, said its decision followed an emergency congress meeting held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, where members unanimously voted to join the national action.
“This is to formally notify all relevant stakeholders of the impending indefinite strike action declared by our parent body, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), scheduled to commence from 12 midnight on Saturday, 1st November 2025.
“Following this declaration, the Supreme Congress of ARD-FCTA, after its Emergency Congress Meeting held on Wednesday, 29th October 2025, deliberated extensively on the state of our unresolved local issues. The Congress unanimously voted to fully join the NARD-declared indefinite strike in its entirety.
“It is, however, important to note that even if NARD suspends or calls off its strike, ARD-FCTA will continue with its own indefinite strike action until all demands peculiar to our centre have been satisfactorily met,” the letter partly stated.
The letter was acknowledged and stamped on October 31, 2025, by several offices, including the FCT Minister’s Office, the Head of Service, and the Health Services and Environment Secretariat — signaling imminent disruptions across FCTA hospitals.
The doctors’ demands include:
- Immediate payment of outstanding salary arrears for members employed since 2023.
- Recruitment of new doctors with written commitments to conclude the process before the end of 2025.
- Payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
- Correction of salary irregularities and stoppage of erroneous deductions.
- Timelines for skipping and conversion, to be completed within one month.
- Conversion of post-Part II Fellows to Consultant cadre within six months.
- Release of promotion timelines and payment of arrears within one month.
- Immediate payment of wage award arrears and arrears from the 25/35% CONMESS review.
- Renovation and upgrading of FCTA hospitals, and payment of 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears.
The association also demanded payment of all arrears owed to 2025 external residents, describing the issues as “long overdue” and vital to sustaining morale and service delivery.
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