FCT Resident Doctors Begin 7-Day Warning Strike, Demand Urgent Health Sector Reforms
Story written by Daniel September 8,2025
The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCT) has embarked on a seven-day warning strike over what it described as the persistent collapse of the FCT health system.
In a communiqué issued by ARD-FCT President, Dr. George Ebong, alongside other executive members, the doctors highlighted decades of neglect and systemic failure within the territory’s healthcare sector, stressing that urgent reforms are needed to save lives.
According to the statement, doctors in Abuja’s public hospitals are under severe pressure, with many being forced to cover multiple departments due to inadequate staffing and poor working conditions.
“The health system in the FCT has been a victim of long-standing systemic failure. Without immediate intervention, the delivery of quality healthcare to residents will continue to deteriorate,” Dr. Ebong said.
The association noted that the strike is not aimed at punishing patients but at drawing the attention of relevant authorities to the worsening situation in FCT hospitals.
ARD-FCT listed some of its major demands, including:
- Recruitment of more medical personnel to ease workload.
- Improved welfare and working conditions for doctors.
- Adequate funding to upgrade infrastructure and equipment in public hospitals.
- Implementation of policies that guarantee sustainable healthcare delivery in the capital territory.
The doctors warned that failure by the government to act within the seven-day window could force them to escalate their industrial action.
The strike is expected to disrupt services at major FCT hospitals, raising concerns among patients who rely heavily on public healthcare facilities.
Health experts have also cautioned that the situation, if unresolved, could further burden Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system, which is already grappling with brain drain, inadequate funding, and decaying infrastructure.
