Nigeria TV Info – Health & National Affairs

FG to Release ₦11.99bn in 72 Hours to Offset Salary Arrears of Health Workers

The Federal Government says it will release ₦11.99 billion within the next 72 hours to clear part of the salary and allowance arrears owed to medical professionals across the country.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Alaba Balogun, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health, who noted that the move reflects government’s commitment to resolving the grievances of health workers.

The announcement comes amid the nationwide indefinite strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) over issues including unpaid entitlements and demands for improved working conditions.

According to Balogun, the Ministry of Health, working with the Ministry of Finance on President Bola Tinubu’s directive, has already transferred ₦21.3 billion to the IPPIS payment platform for the settlement of health workers’ benefits, including those of NARD members.

He added that this follows an earlier release of ₦10 billion in August to begin payment of seven months’ arrears under the CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures.

> “All these payments are being enjoyed by members of NARD in accordance with the salary structure in the health sector,” Balogun said, stressing government’s continued commitment to improving welfare, motivation, and stability within the health workforce.

Balogun further revealed that the Federal Government has approved special recruitment waivers to address workforce shortages resulting from brain drain and excessive workload in hospitals.

So far, over 20,000 health workers have been recruited across 58 federal tertiary health institutions, while an additional 15,000 positions have been approved for recruitment in 2025.

The Ministry said it remains engaged in dialogue with health unions and urged striking workers to return to duty while negotiations continue.