Healthcare delivery across Abuja is set to face serious disruptions as the Association of Resident Doctors under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has declared an indefinite strike, effective 12 midnight on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
The doctors said the decision followed years of unresolved welfare and administrative challenges affecting their members.
In a letter dated October 30, 2025, addressed to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and signed by ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, and General Secretary, Dr. Agbor Affiong, the association announced that its members would withdraw their services indefinitely.
The letter, acknowledged by the offices of the FCT Minister, the FCT Head of Service, and the Health Services and Environment Secretariat on October 31, signaled a potential paralysis of operations across FCTA-owned hospitals, where resident doctors make up the majority of the workforce.
This move comes on the heels of a similar declaration by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which had earlier announced a nationwide strike starting the same date.
According to ARD-FCTA, members unanimously voted to join the national strike during an emergency congress on October 29. However, the association stressed that it would continue its strike even if NARD later suspended its action.
“Even if NARD suspends or calls off its strike, ARD-FCTA will continue with its own indefinite action until all our demands are satisfactorily met,” the letter stated.
The association’s demands include:
Immediate payment of outstanding salary arrears for members employed since 2023.
Recruitment of new doctors, with a written commitment to conclude by the end of 2025.
Immediate release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
Correction of irregular salary payments and stoppage of erroneous deductions.
Promotion and conversion timelines to be completed within one month.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure prompt skipping, conversion, and promotion processes.
ARD-FCTA, which comprises doctors working in 14 district and general hospitals as well as the Department of Public Health, warned that the strike would continue until every item on its list of grievances is addressed.
As Abuja residents brace for the fallout, healthcare services in major hospitals such as Wuse, Asokoro, and Maitama District Hospitals are expected to be hit hardest.
This latest strike underscores the growing crisis in Nigeria’s public health sector, where frequent industrial actions, poor working conditions, and unpaid benefits continue to undermine patient care and staff morale.
Unless swift action is taken, Abuja could soon face a complete shutdown of secondary healthcare services, further exposing the cracks in the nation’s healthcare system.
