The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given the Federal Government a final 24-hour grace period to meet its welfare demands, delaying the nationwide strike originally scheduled to begin today.

NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara, confirmed the decision in a text message on Thursday morning, noting that it followed a six-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC).

“The Federal Government called us yesterday and promised to address our concerns. We had our meeting and after a 6-hour deliberation decided to give the government the next 24 hours to ensure disbursement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to beneficiaries, for MDCN to upgrade our membership certificates and attend to our other demands,” Osundara said.

He warned that failure to meet the conditions by Thursday would trigger a full-scale strike beginning Friday.

NARD had earlier issued a 10-day ultimatum to the government, demanding immediate payment of the 2025 MRTF, resolution of certificate issues with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and other outstanding welfare concerns.