FCT Doctors’ Indefinite Strike Exposes Deep Rot in Abuja’s Health System
By Matthew Eloyi
The decision of the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA), to embark on an indefinite strike from September 15, 2025, is more than just another episode in the long-running standoff between doctors and government. It is a mirror reflecting the deep dysfunction at the heart of the healthcare system in Nigeria’s capital.
At a press conference announcing the action, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, was deliberate in clarifying that the strike was not a personal attack on FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, or any official. “This is not targeted against the minister or mandate secretary, but against a failed health system. We call on the Minister of FCT to do the needful,” he said.
That statement underscores a broader truth: the grievances are systemic, not political. For months, the doctors have complained about unpaid salaries, irregular payments, withheld allowances, and stalled promotions. They also decry the worsening condition of public hospitals — many of which lack basic facilities such as X-ray machines.
The doctors’ communique paints a grim picture. Salary arrears ranging from one to six months remain unsettled for those employed since 2023. The 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), crucial for professional development, has not been released. Hazard allowances spanning 13 months are outstanding. Meanwhile, unresolved deductions and irregular salary structures continue to sap morale.
Perhaps the most damning indictment is the FCTA’s failure to recruit new doctors despite a glaring manpower crisis. The result is overworked medical personnel struggling under physical, emotional, and psychological strain. “Both doctors’ and patients’ lives remain endangered,” the association warned.
Beyond remuneration, the strike exposes how public health in Abuja has been neglected. The doctors argue that hospitals once envisioned as centres of excellence have deteriorated into “shadows of decay.” Patients often arrive to find that essential equipment is unavailable, while staff remain demotivated by poor working conditions.
The timing of the strike is equally significant. It comes barely a week after a seven-day warning strike that yielded no meaningful response from the authorities. By escalating to an indefinite shutdown, ARD-FCTA is signaling frustration and exhaustion with what it perceives as official indifference.
The implications are stark. For residents of Abuja, already grappling with rising healthcare costs, the strike means reduced access to care at government facilities. For policymakers, it raises urgent questions: Why are doctors in the nation’s capital — under the direct purview of the FCT Administration — battling the same issues of unpaid salaries and dilapidated hospitals that plague less-resourced states?
The strike is not merely about doctors’ welfare; it is about the survival of a public health system that millions rely on. The government’s response in the coming days will be telling. Will it treat the strike as just another labour dispute, or will it see it as an opportunity to confront the structural decay in Abuja’s healthcare system?
Until then, the patients, as always, will bear the heaviest burden.
