Doctors return to duty after government agrees to meet key demands outlined in a new memorandum.

Resident doctors at the University College Hospital in Ibadan have resumed work after a monthlong nationwide strike.

CBI News reports that the strike began on November 1 after the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors issued a directive to withdraw services when the government failed to meet its demands.

The doctors had requested a 200 percent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, full implementation of new allowances proposed since July 2022, immediate recruitment of clinical staff, and the removal of bureaucratic delays that hinder the replacement of outgoing doctors, among other concerns.

The President of UCH NARD, Dr Gboyega Ajibola, said the National Executive Council met on November 29 to review the situation.

He stated that the government had addressed most of their immediate and short term demands.

Ajibola explained that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the government, outlining the association’s demands and the timelines for carrying them out.

Based on what he described as satisfactory terms in the agreement, the NARD National Executive Council decided to suspend the industrial action and allow the government four weeks to implement the agreed steps.

In keeping with NARD tradition, each centre held a congress on December 1 to brief members on the updates. After the briefing, centre presidents instructed all members to return to work.

Ajibola confirmed that all resident doctors at UCH resumed duties on Monday.