The federal government has disclosed plans to pay N11.995 billion within 72 hours to clear outstanding salary and allowance arrears, following the indefinite and nationwide strike action declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun, said in a statement on Saturday that the fund has been authorised for release to address outstanding arrears, including the accoutrement allowance.

The ministry stated, “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 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure to all categories of health workers, with N10 billion 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, October 30, another sum of N21.3 billion has been moved to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System account, and payment has commenced,” the health ministry noted.

It added, “The federal government has released N10.6 billion as at September 2025 as full payment for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) paid exclusively to resident doctors nationwide.”

The ministry also stated that it has granted special waivers to facilitate the massive recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary institutions.

“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,” the ministry noted.

It confirmed that the recruitment exercise for 2025 is ongoing, with more than 15,000 applicants already approved for employment.

Towards enhancing negotiations with the health industry, the ministry revealed that it has recently engaged a professor of industrial relations, Dafe Otobo, to act as a negotiator and enhance constructive engagement between the government and unions, like the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANM).

It said, “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.”

Assuring the public of its readiness to resolve other sundry issues, including the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, payment delays, promotions, special pension benefits, and certificate categorization, the ministry pledged to fast-track its intervention while working with relevant bodies.