Resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, have declared an indefinite strike starting Monday, September 15, citing the authorities’ persistent neglect of their demands.
“The Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA, at its Emergency General Meeting held on 14th September 2025, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8:00 am, Monday, 15th September 2025,” the association said in a statement by the General Secretary, Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, FCTA, Agbor Affiong.
“This action follows the failure of Management to address any of our legitimate demands, even after a one-week warning strike.”
The group emphasized that the strike would continue until the government and hospital management demonstrate sincere commitment to improving doctors’ welfare and safeguarding the health of FCT residents.
Just last week, ARD-FCTA had staged a seven-day warning strike, demanding better working conditions and the payment of outstanding entitlements. However, with no progress made, the doctors decided to escalate their action.
Their grievances include inadequate manpower, poor welfare packages, and the overwhelming burden placed on the few available doctors. According to them, the situation is already affecting their mental and physical health.
Earlier, ARD-FCTA had warned that it would down tools indefinitely if what it called meaningful dialogue was not initiated to address its concerns.
“There will be a reassessment by the Congress, and hopefully, the dialogue is going to be meaningful. And if it’s not meaningful, then the Congress will not have a choice but to impose an indefinite strike,” the group’s chairman, George Ebong, had stated.
Ebong painted a grim picture of the manpower crisis in the FCT, noting that despite having 14 district and general hospitals, the shortage of doctors and specialists has stretched the workforce beyond reasonable limits.
“We’re going to need as much as 200 or thereabouts [doctors]. We don’t even have anything close to that,” he said.
“We have a doctor seeing more than 30 patients, 40 patients. We have a doctor doing up to 10 caesarean sections,” Ebong added.
Highlighting the toll on healthcare providers, Ebong said, “We have doctors who are on antidepressants. We have doctors who are on anti-hypertensives.”
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