Healthcare delivery in Nigeria’s capital has been thrown into fresh crisis as resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) embarked on a seven-day warning strike on Monday, September 8, 2025. The doctors, under the banner of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCT), say the industrial action is necessary to draw attention to what they describe as “a longstanding systemic failure” in Abuja’s health system.
Announcing the strike in a communiqué signed by ARD-FCT President, Dr. George Ebong, and other executives, the union said its members are overworked, underpaid, and forced to work with non-functional equipment across public hospitals. The doctors stressed that their decision follows repeated but ignored appeals to the government to address the worsening state of medical facilities in the FCT.
Dr. Ebong explained that resident doctors are routinely stretched thin, with one doctor covering multiple departments, leading to burnout and preventable errors. “The situation is unsustainable,” he warned, adding that the strike is a last resort to prevent total collapse of the city’s healthcare system.
Last month, ARD-FCT had issued a notice urging the Federal Government and the FCT Administration to address critical issues, including manpower shortages, unpaid allowances, lack of consumables, and obsolete machines. According to the union, patients have borne the brunt of the neglect, with long waiting times, inadequate services, and a growing exodus of doctors to foreign countries.
The strike action means that most secondary and tertiary hospitals in Abuja will now operate skeletal services, with consultants and house officers left to fill the gaps. Emergency units are expected to face particular strain, as resident doctors make up the bulk of the workforce in trauma, maternity, and pediatric departments.
Health experts warn the strike could deepen the country’s already fragile healthcare delivery, especially in the capital, where thousands rely daily on public hospitals. Analysts note that Abuja, despite being Nigeria’s seat of power, has some of the poorest doctor-to-patient ratios in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer than one doctor to 3,000 residents in some facilities.
ARD-FCT has vowed to return to work after the seven-day strike but insists that unless government addresses their demands, a full-blown indefinite strike cannot be ruled out. The union also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritize healthcare funding, noting that without urgent reforms, Abuja risks a healthcare breakdown with dire consequences for its residents.
