The Federal Government has announced that it will disburse N11.995bn within the next 72 hours to settle outstanding arrears, including accoutrement allowances, owed to doctors and other health workers nationwide.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and signed by its Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun. According to the ministry, the payment is part of efforts to address the welfare concerns raised by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and other unions, and to reinforce the government’s commitment to industrial harmony and health sector reforms.
The pledge was made during a high-level meeting between the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, top ministry officials, and NARD leaders, following renewed agitations over unpaid allowances and welfare issues.
The development comes as resident doctors embark on a national strike involving about 11,000 doctors across 91 health facilities, protesting unpaid arrears and delayed allowances. NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, recently stated that the government owes health workers an estimated N38bn in accumulated allowances.
The ministry emphasized that it has already begun settling parts of the arrears. It noted that:
Seven months’ arrears of the 25–35% upward review of CONMESS and CONHESS have begun to be paid, with N10bn released in August 2025.
An additional N21.3bn was transferred to the IPPIS account as of October 30, and payments have commenced.
The newly approved N11.995bn will be released within 72 hours for other outstanding arrears.
N10.6bn has also been paid as the full 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
To address shortages caused by brain drain and long working hours, the government has approved massive recruitment across federal tertiary institutions. Over 20,000 health workers were recruited in 2024, and 15,000 more have been approved for 2025.
The ministry added that negotiations continue with NMA, JOHESU, NANNM, and other unions, facilitated by industrial relations expert Prof. Dafe Otobo, to resolve lingering issues such as specialist allowances, salary relativity, consultant cadre appointments, and other welfare concerns.
Regarding the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, the ministry said three who didn’t face a proper disciplinary committee will be reabsorbed if they choose, while the cases of the remaining two will be reviewed within four weeks.
It also clarified that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria merely reclassified certificates from the West African Postgraduate Medical College (Category B to C), describing it as a normal regulatory adjustment.
The ministry attributed payment and promotion delays to administrative bottlenecks within IPPIS and confirmed that pension-related matters fall under the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting health workers’ rights, ensuring industrial peace, and maintaining uninterrupted quality healthcare delivery.
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