The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOHSW) has announced that the federal government will release ₦11.9 billion within 72 hours to settle part of the salary and allowance arrears owed to medical professionals.
Naijaonpoint reports that the move comes just hours after the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began an indefinite strike, citing the government’s failure to meet its demands.
In a statement on Saturday, November 1, the ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, confirmed the directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite payments to health workers.
Balogun’s statement noted that in August 2025, the government paid ₦10 billion to begin settling seven months’ arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent salary review for health-workers under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CMSS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CHSS).
As of 30 October 2025, a further ₦21.3 billion has been moved to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) account and payment has commenced.
“In addition, the sum of ₦11.995 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 statement noted.
Furthermore, as of September 2025, ₦10.6 billion has been released as full payment for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), which has been paid exclusively to resident doctors nationwide.
Beyond payments, the ministry said the government has granted special waivers to accelerate the 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.
“This recruitment drive is part of a larger strategy to ensure that Nigeria’s health facilities are adequately staffed, safe, and equipped to deliver quality care to citizens,” the statement said.
Balogun emphasised that collective bargaining discussions are ongoing with health unions, including NARD (an affiliate of the Nigerian Medical Association), the Joint Health Sector Unions and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
He said: “To deepen dialogue and proffer solutions to controversial issues that arose in the course of the CBA, the Ministry has engaged a professional negotiator … Prof. Dafe Otobo, to facilitate further constructive engagements between government and union leaders …”
A joint meeting of the unions with the ministry and the negotiator took place on 24 October 2025. Topics under discussion include specialist and other allowances, salary relativity, appointment of consultant cadres and other welfare-related issues. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has signalled its readiness to conclude the collective bargaining process once consensus is reached.
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