A seven-day warning strike by resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has severely impacted healthcare services in public hospitals. The strike, which began on September 8, 2025, was called by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCT) due to unresolved issues with the FCT Administration, including unpaid salary arrears, poor welfare, and worsening conditions in Abuja hospitals.
Patients have been turned away from hospitals, with many being discharged prematurely or advised to return after the strike. At Nyanya General Hospital, only a handful of patients were seen, with nurses attending to them without doctors. A similar situation was observed at Asokoro District Hospital, where the usually crowded wards and emergency units were nearly empty.
The strike has been triggered by the FCT Administration’s failure to meet a 21-day ultimatum issued by the doctors. The unresolved issues include non-payment of salary arrears, accrued Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and failure to implement new hazard allowances and revised CONMESS salary structures. The doctors have listed multiple grievances, including delayed promotion exercises, continued deductions from members’ salaries, and failure to recruit new doctors despite severe manpower shortages.
The absence of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who is out of the country, has further complicated the situation. Sources within the FCT Administration have confirmed that the minister has the sole power to approve the financial commitments needed to resolve the doctors’ grievances, and no other official can act in his stead. This administrative bottleneck has left the FCT Administration helpless, and the strike is likely to run its full course, prolonging the suffering of patients who rely on public health facilities.
The strike has severely crippled services at hospitals like the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, and the general hospitals in Kubwa, Asokoro, and Maitama. Emergency wards are overwhelmed, and dozens of elective surgeries have been cancelled indefinitely. Residents have expressed frustration and concern, with some describing the situation as a matter of life and death. The FCT Administration has yet to comment on the situation, and attempts to reach the permanent secretary of the FCT Health Service and Environment Secretariat have been unsuccessful. The strike has highlighted the need for urgent attention to the healthcare sector in the FCT, and residents are waiting with bated breath for a resolution to the crisis.
