The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim order restraining the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from embarking on any form of industrial action.
Justice E.D. Subilim, in a ruling on Monday, January 12, 2026, prohibited NARD, its agents, and members from engaging in strikes, go-slows, picketing, or taking preparatory steps toward protest. The injunction will remain effective until the hearing of a motion scheduled for January 21, 2026.
The suit was filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Government against NARD, its President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, and Secretary General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The court order follows recent expressions of support for a nationwide strike by resident doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto. The doctors had endorsed the industrial action over the government’s alleged failure to fulfill key welfare and training agreements.
Among their grievances are the non-reinstatement of five disengaged resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; unpaid promotion and salary arrears; incomplete implementation of the Professional Allowance Table; withheld specialist allowances; delayed salaries for house officers; certification delays for postgraduate training; and deteriorating hospital infrastructure.
