FG Secures Interim Injunction as January 12 Walkout Is Halted
In a decisive legal move, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, has restrained the National Association of Resident Doctors from embarking on any form of industrial action across the country.
Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim issued the interim injunction following an application filed by the Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The court order bars the association, its members and agents from calling, directing, organising or participating in strikes, work stoppages, go-slows, picketing or any other action capable of disrupting healthcare services nationwide.
In a further clampdown, the court also restrained the association from taking any preparatory steps towards industrial action from January 12, 2026—the date earlier announced for the commencement of the strike.
The interim order will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, which has been fixed for January 21, 2026.
The ruling effectively neutralises the planned nationwide strike threatened by resident doctors, a move that had raised concerns over possible disruptions to public hospitals and essential medical services.
As the legal battle shifts to the courtroom, patients, hospital managers and policymakers now await the next chapter in a dispute that once again puts Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system under the spotlight.
