…Massive Recruitment, Payment of Arrears, and Reforms Underway as Government Prioritises

Health Workforce Wellbeing as the Bedrock of System Strengthening.

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to ensuring industrial peace, harmony, and sustained reform in Nigeria’s health sector, emphasising that the welfare, motivation, and stability of the nation’s health workforce remain the foundation upon which all health policies, strategies, and actions are built.

This assurance was reiterated during a high-level meeting led by Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako between the top management of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), following the association’s recent agitations over welfare and professional concerns.

CONCRETE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS WELFARE CONCERNS

In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare commenced the payment of seven months’ arrears of the 25%/35% upward review of CONMESS and CONHESS to all categories of health workers with 10 billion naira paid in August 2025. Following the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for these arrears owed to health workers including members of NARD to be paid expeditiously, as of Thursday 30th October, another sum of 21.3 billion naira has been moved to the 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.

RECRUITMENT AND WORKFORCE EXPANSION

To address the strain caused by brain drain and prolonged working hours, the Federal Government has granted special waivers to enable the massive recruitment of healthcare professionals across Federal Tertiary Institutions.

In 2024, over 20,000 health workers, including doctors, nurses, and allied professionals were employed across 58 Federal Health Institutions, under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda’s commitment to strengthening human resources for health. The recruitment for 2025 is currently ongoing with over 15,000 health workers already approved to be employed.

Additionally, the Federal Government has released #10.6 billion as at September 2025 as full payment for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) paid exclusively to resident doctors nationwide.

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.

ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL DIALOGUE

The Ministry confirmed that collective bargaining discussions are ongoing the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), where NARD is an affiliate, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANM).

To deepen dialogue and proffer solutions to controversial issues that arose in the course of the CBA,, the Ministry has engaged a professional negotiator who is a Professor of Industrial Relations, Prof. Dafe Otobo, to facilitate further constructive engagements between government and union leaders with the active involvement of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. The negotiator has since met with all the unions individually, a joint meeting of the unions with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with the negotiator has also taken place as of Thursday 24th October 2025. All these is being done to facilitate decisions at the CBA and ensure a comprehensive, universally discussed and agreed solutions to the agitations of health workers which has been missing in recent past negotiations.

“Discussions are progressing on all the points raised by the health unions including NARD, an affiliate of NMA. Such issues includes specialist and other allowances, salary relativity, appointed of consultant cadre in our hospitals and other welfare-related issues. The Ministry of Labour and Productivity has expressed its readiness to conclude the collective bargaining process once consensus is reached,” the statement noted.

CLARIFICATIONS ON SPECIFIC ISSUES

• Dismissal of Five Doctors (Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja): The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has offered 3 of the staff affected who has not faced a properly constituted disciplinary committee of the government the opportunity to be reabsorbed back into the employment of the Federal government if they so wish.

• Two of the affected staff faced a disciplinary panel constituted in line with the public service rule. Their cases have now been referred to expert negotiator engaged by the ministry, Prof. Dafe Otobo to review the circumstances surrounding the dismissal and submit a report within 4 weeks for necessary administrative action.

Certificate Categorization: The Ministry clarified that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) reclassified, not downgraded, certificates issued by the West African Postgraduate Medical College from Category B to C, describing it as a routine regulatory adjustment.