The federal government has inaugurated two high-level ministerial committees to address long-standing industrial disputes in the health sector, including excessive work hours, locum engagement practices and residency training certification issues.

The development was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on Friday.

Deputy health minister Iziaq Adekunle Salako inaugurated the committees, describing the move as part of broader efforts to reform the healthcare system, protect the welfare of health workers, and ensure patient safety.

Mr Salako said the issues have repeatedly strained relations between the government and health sector unions, noting that prolonged work hours, uneven locum engagement, and certification concerns for resident doctors have remained flashpoints for industrial action.

According to him, the first panel, the Ministerial Committee on Work Hour Regulation and Locum Engagement Policy, was constituted to address exhausting duty schedules and inconsistent engagement of health workers as locum officers across public hospitals.

He said excessive work hours pose risks to the mental and physical well-being of health workers and to patient safety, especially amid a global shortage of health personnel.

He cited World Health Organisation estimates projecting a global health workforce gap of up to 11 million by 2030, with Nigeria particularly affected by migration to Europe, North America and other developed economies.

The minister said that in the last 21 months, the Federal Government had adopted several measures to strengthen the health workforce, including the Health Workforce Migration Policy, easing bureaucratic bottlenecks to employment, improving remuneration and expanding training quotas.

He disclosed that 14,444 health workers were employed in 2024, while 23,059 were approved in 2025, with more than 70 per cent being clinical staff.

Despite the gains, he acknowledged that locum engagement, often used as a stopgap, has been inconsistently applied and sometimes abused, necessitating a clear national policy framework.

He said the committee is mandated to conduct a nationwide audit of work hours and shift patterns, assess their impact on patient outcomes and workers’ wellbeing, engage stakeholders and develop a national policy on safe hospital work hours, rostering and locum engagement.

“The panel is expected to submit its first report within 12 weeks,” he said.

He assured stakeholders that the committees’ recommendations would receive urgent attention and form part of a “new deal” for health professionals to reduce industrial unrest and strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.

He said the committee would conduct a transparent appraisal of existing policies and the requests of the National Association of Resident Doctors, particularly on the issuance of membership certificates after Part I examinations.

In their acceptance speeches, the chairpersons pledged diligence, empathy and fairness in carrying out their assignments.

((NAN)