The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has backed the ongoing strike by resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

NARD in a press release issued on 12 September and signed by its President, Mohammad Suleiman, called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Ministry of Health to intervene.

NARD said it is in “full solidarity” with the Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH-ARD), and supported its demands.

It noted that the unresolved welfare concerns had disrupted medical services at the tertiary hospital.

It called on the state government to address the doctors’ grievances and “avert a prolonged crisis” that could affect healthcare delivery in Lagos.

Doctors’ demands

According to NARD, the unresolved issues include the non-payment of specialist allowance for Grade Level 14 resident doctors, also known as Senior Registrars 1 (SR1).

The association also cited outstanding salary shortfalls and advancement arrears, as well as 25 months of arrears arising from the delayed implementation of the revised Professional Allowance Table.

NARD further raised concerns about discrepancies in recent salary payments, calling for the immediate release of full salary breakdowns to ensure transparency.

The association said, the concerns persisted despite previous acknowledgements and agreements with the state government.

“Our colleagues at LASUTH have shown immense patience and dedication, but the persistent failure to honour agreements leaves them with no choice,” NARD said.

It urged the government to meet the demands and restore normal medical operations.

Background

The latest strike followed earlier disagreements between LASUTH resident doctors and the Lagos State government over welfare and remuneration.

LASUTH-ARD had embarked on a three-day warning strike from 15 to 17 June 2026, citing concerns including the implementation of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of specialist allowance to Grade Level 14 resident doctors, salary shortfalls and advancement arrears.

The doctors also demanded the resumption of construction of resident doctors’ quarters within LASUTH.

Following the warning strike, the doctors said several meetings were held with government officials, with assurances that the specialist allowance for SR1 doctors would be incorporated into the Professional Allowance Table.

LASUTH-ARD also said the issue was discussed with Governor Sanwo-Olu during a meeting on 17 July.

However, the doctors later said the specialist allowance was not reflected in the August salaries of affected members, prompting further disagreement with the government.

In August, LASUTH-ARD gave the Lagos State government a seven-day ultimatum to resolve the issues, warning that failure to do so could lead to further industrial action.

ALSO READ: NMA warns of wider health crisis as LASUTH doctors’ strike enters second day

The association demanded the implementation and payment of the specialist allowance, payment of outstanding arrears and settlement of salary shortfalls and advancement arrears.

NARD warns against escalation

NARD said the Lagos State government must treat the industrial action with urgency to prevent further escalation.

The association called on Governor Sanwo-Olu and the state Ministry of Health to intervene directly and resolve the outstanding issues.

It said continued delays could threaten patient care and stability in the state’s health system.

“NARD stands shoulder-to-shoulder with LASUTH-ARD until the issue is fully resolved,” the association said.

The doctors’ association urged the government to address the grievances and restore normal medical operations across the health system.

A total of 10,494 Nigerians are listed among staff in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), according to data shared by NHS Million, a UK campaign organisation focused on NHS staff.

Nigeria ranked sixth overall on the list, behind the UK/British, India, the Philippines, Ireland and Poland, making Nigeria the largest African nationality represented in the breakdown.

The data shared by NHS Million showed that more than 1.1 million NHS workers identified as British or UK nationals, while Indians accounted for 32,117 staff and Filipinos 25,423.

It also showed that Zimbabwe had the second-highest number of African nationals working in the NHS, with 4,780, followed by Ghana with 3,395, Egypt with 2,895 and South Africa with 1,829.

The figures highlight the significant contribution of Nigerian professionals to the UK health system, but also come amid persistent concerns over the shortage of health workers in the country.

Nigeria loses thousands of health workers

The 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report, released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, showed that over 20,000 Nigerian health workers relocated abroad within one year.

The figure included 3,919 doctors, 7,487 nurses and midwives, 6,861 medical laboratory professionals, 702 pharmacists, 658 physiotherapists and 274 dentists, among other health professionals. The report also showed that Nigeria has 95,456 registered doctors, but only 60,551 currently hold active practising licences.

The workforce shortage is further worsened by the uneven distribution of health professionals across the country, with several northern states recording particularly low doctor densities.

UK remains major destination

The United Kingdom is one of the major destinations for Nigerian health professionals.

Data from the UK’s General Medical Council showed that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026, according to a Punch report.

The data also showed that 15,896 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise in the UK.

READ ALSO: PT Health Watch: How laboratory tests can help detect colorectal cancer early – Expert

The 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report identified external migration as one of the factors affecting the availability of health professionals in Nigeria.

Migration policy yet to be fully implemented

The federal government has introduced several measures aimed at increasing the health workforce and addressing migration.

Nigeria also approved a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration in August 2024, aimed at managing health worker migration, improving retention and strengthening workforce planning.

However, the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report said that although the implementation plan had been finalised, full implementation had not commenced.

The report said an additional 23,000 frontline health workers were trained in 2025, bringing the number trained between 2024 and 2025 to 78,146, or about 65 per cent of the national target of 120,000.

The policy is intended to improve working conditions, support career progression and establish a more coordinated approach to health worker migration and retention.