The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors has urged the Federal Government to conclude the process of reinstating the dismissed resident doctors in Lokoja and to capture and implement outstanding professional allowances in the January budget, among other demands.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the President of NARD, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, expressed hope that the 15 demands of the association being discussed would be implemented this month.

He said, “We hope they will finalise the processes of returning our members to Lokoja. We hope they will capture the professional allowances in the budget and implement them this January. And we hope they will pay this allowance.”

Suleiman further stated that while the government and some stakeholders often wanted the association to focus on a single demand, all 15 items were critical to the welfare of resident doctors and the healthcare system.

He stated, “We don’t have just one demand. We have 15 items at the table for discussion.”

PUNCH Healthwise reports that the association shelved its planned January 12 strike on Sunday after engagements with various government agencies.

NARD had, on November 1, 2025, embarked on an indefinite strike to press home its demands. The strike, which lasted for 29 days, was called off on November 29.

A communiqué issued by the association’s Secretary General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, on January 11, 2026, following a virtual extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, detailed the status of the 15 demands and the progress made through engagements with various government agencies.

The communiqué revealed that regarding the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja crisis, a reconciliation committee comprising the Chief Medical Directors, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and NARD had been established to ensure all members remained at the facility and to broker lasting peace between the Association of Resident Doctors at FTH Lokoja and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria at the same institution.

PUNCH Healthwise reports that tensions had earlier arisen at the FTH, Lokoja, following disagreements involving resident doctors and other medical staff, which led to the dismissal of five resident doctors and strained working relationships within the facility.

Continuing, NARD stated that concerning the outstanding 25 per cent and 35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure arrears, verified lists had been forwarded to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, while the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment had written to the Federal Ministry of Finance with attention to IPPIS for prompt payment.

Suleiman said, “Verified lists have been forwarded to IPPIS. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Federal Ministry of Finance, with attention to IPPIS. NARD will continue close follow-up to ensure prompt payment.”

The communiqué noted similar progress on outstanding accoutrement allowances, with the association maintaining close follow-up to ensure payment.

Regarding promotion and salary arrears, the association disclosed that lists had been transmitted by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office, with the Honourable Minister of State for Finance acknowledging receipt.

The statement read, “Lists have been transmitted by FMoH&SW to the FMoF and Budget Office. Importantly, the Honourable Minister of State for Finance has acknowledged it, and NARD is now engaging to ensure a clear and expedited payment plan.”

On the issue of skipping and entry-level placement, NARD stated that the Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would communicate with Chief Executives of hospitals regarding a clarification issued by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, emphasising that CONMESS 3 was the recognised entry level.

The association revealed that a multi-stakeholder committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Chief Medical Directors, the Nigerian Medical Association and NARD had been constituted to address locum practice and work hour regulation, with preliminary activities commencing ahead of formal inauguration.

Concerning house officers’ welfare, the communiqué stated that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment had intervened, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would formally engage the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to communicate with IPPIS on salary delays, arrears and issuance of pay advisories.

On membership recategorisation, Suleiman disclosed that a committee chaired by the Director of Hospital Services had been set up to engage MDCN, Chief Medical Directors, postgraduate colleges and NARD.

The association stated that it would work closely with affected centres to ensure salary and allowance arrears in state and private facilities were cleared while ensuring that gains at the federal level were replicated at the state level.

Regarding the professional allowance table, the communiqué revealed that the circular had been released and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had written to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for full implementation, beginning with the January salary.

Suleiman said, “The circular has been released. MoH&SW has written to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for full implementation beginning with the January salary. NARD is following up closely. Assurances have also been given that 18 months’ arrears will be captured in the 2026 Budget.”

The association noted that it would continue to push for the immediate resumption and timely conclusion of negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Following firm commitments from critical stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, IPPIS, Director General of Budget, Chief Medical Directors, the National Assembly, Director General of the Department of State Services, and notably the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the NEC unanimously resolved to suspend the resumption of Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike 2.0.

The communiqué stated, “This suspension is strategic and conditional, allowing room to objectively review tangible progress at the January NEC meeting commencing 25th January 2026.”

In addition, the NARD president told PUNCH Healthwise that 4,700 doctors left Nigeria in 2024 alone, contributing to a brain drain crisis that has seen approximately 15,000 medical practitioners emigrate over the past seven years.

Suleiman noted that data on the number of doctors who left the country in 2025 would become available by the end of January or in February 2026, adding that the continuous exodus of medical professionals was significantly affecting healthcare delivery in the country.

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The Federal Government has allocated a cumulative N10.61bn for the overhaul of engines on the Gulfstream G550 aircraft assigned to Vice President Kashim Shettima over a three-year period, an analysis of appropriation bills from 2024 to 2026 has revealed.

The aircraft, registered as 5N-FGW, received the highest single allocation among all engine overhaul projects in the Presidential Air Fleet, accounting for 55 per cent of the N19.27bn total spent on engine maintenance across the fleet under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Budget documents obtained and analysed by The PUNCH show that the allocation for overhauling the vice president’s aircraft engines jumped from N1.24bn in 2024 to N5.51bn in 2025—a 345 per cent increase—before settling at N3.86bn in 2026.

The 2024 Appropriation Bill listed the project under code ERGP31206170 as “Overhaul of 5N-FGW Engines” with a “NEW” status and an allocation of N1.24bn. By 2025, the project’s status changed to “ONGOING” with the allocation rising to N5.51bn, before declining to N3.86bn in 2026 while maintaining its “ONGOING” status.

The 13-year-old Gulfstream G550, which flies under the call sign “Nigerian Air Force 2” when carrying the vice president, has been plagued by technical faults that have led to cancellations of Shettima’s international trips in the past.

In May 2024, Shettima was forced to abort his trip to the United States for the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, after the aircraft developed a technical fault mid-flight.

The incident occurred less than a month after President Tinubu was compelled to charter a private jet to Saudi Arabia when the same Gulfstream jet, originally assigned to the vice president, developed an oxygen leak in the Netherlands. Four months later, in October 2024, the vice president again cancelled his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa after a foreign object hit the aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

Presidency officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to our correspondent, said the repeated technical failures may have prompted urgent maintenance, which in turn drove the escalating budget allocations.

Aside from the vice president’s aircraft, the FG also allocated funds for overhauling engines on two Falcon 7X jets (registered 5N-FGV and 5N-FGU), which received N1.66bn in 2024, N3.13bn in 2025, and N2.19bn in 2026, totalling N6.98bn over the three years. Additionally, a Gulfstream jet registered 5N-FGS received N1.68bn for engine overhaul in 2024, though no further allocations were made for it in subsequent years.

In total, engine overhaul projects across the Presidential Air Fleet consumed N4.58bn in 2024, N8.65bn in 2025, and N6.05bn in 2026, bringing the three-year aggregate to N19.27bn.

A close study of the allocation patterns revealed that engine maintenance costs peaked in 2025, a year after the Presidency took delivery of the N150bn Airbus A330, which the Spokesman to the President, Bayo Onanuga, argued would “save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

While engine overhaul spending for older aircraft declined by 30 per cent in 2026 compared to 2025, routine aircraft maintenance allocations under line item 22020407 increased by 10 per cent, from N4.12bn in 2025 to N4.54bn in 2026.

Aviation experts say aircraft age influences maintenance costs.

“These aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation. So, the cost will increase over the years,” said General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo. He argued that the Gulfstream G550, now 13 years old, requires increasingly frequent and expensive overhauls as critical components, such as engines, approach the end of their operational lifespan.

“The figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of repairing the aircraft,” Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, stated.

“Engine overhauls are mandatory at specified intervals, regardless of whether the aircraft has been flown extensively or not,” explained an aircraft maintenance engineer who requested anonymity. “For a jet like the G550, a complete engine overhaul can cost anywhere from $1.5m to $3m per engine, depending on the condition and the extent of work required. If you see the cost increase, it could mean they’re replacing major components, not just doing standard checks. It could also show that they deferred previous maintenance and have to do catch-up work.”

The Presidential Air Fleet, managed by the Nigerian Air Force and headquartered at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, currently operates 10 aircraft, including six fixed-wing jets and four helicopters.

Critics have long argued that Nigeria’s presidential fleet is among the largest in Africa and disproportionately expensive for a country grappling with severe fiscal constraints.

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were opposite to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is the opposite of our expectations. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous in implementing its budget. But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy, that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big in the midst of a poverty-stricken nation,” said Adeniran.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had in 2024 recommended the procurement of new aircraft for both the president and vice president, citing high maintenance costs and safety concerns with the ageing fleet. While the president received the Airbus A330, no similar replacement was announced for the vice president’s aircraft, which has received substantial maintenance allocations under Tinubu.

At the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not responded to inquiries about the specific nature of the engine work carried out on the aircraft.

The budget documents also indicate ongoing capital projects for PAF infrastructure, including N714.8m for the construction of a hangar for the Presidential Air Fleet in 2025, which fell to N500.36m in 2026.

The PAF’s total budget allocation declined from N17.32bn in 2025 to N14.70bn in 2026, mainly driven by decreased capital expenditure.

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At least 21,807 foreign refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence in neighbouring countries remain unregistered in Nigeria, denying them access to food assistance, healthcare and other essential services, the United Nations has revealed.

The figures, contained in the November 2025 UNHCR dashboard obtained by The PUNCH, show that the unregistered asylum seekers, predominantly come from Cameroon’s conflict-torn Anglophone region.

The data revealed that Nigeria currently hosts a total of 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries, with 21,807 still awaiting registration by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, alongside 80,915 recognised refugees and over 25,000 asylum seekers whose cases are being processed.

Analysis of successive UNHCR dashboards reveals that the backlog of unregistered refugees has fluctuated over the past year, climbing from 21,095 in December 2024 to a peak of 32,750 in June 2025, a 55 per cent surge in six months, before declining to 21,807 by November 2025.

The March 2025 dashboard recorded 20,997 persons awaiting registration, suggesting that the new arrivals continue to outpace the Federal Government’s capacity to process them.

Unregistered refugees remain ineligible for UNHCR-provided food stipends, cash assistance, health insurance schemes, and other humanitarian aid, leaving thousands in limbo as they struggle to meet basic needs in host communities.

One official familiar with the refugee registration process told our correspondent that staffing shortages, security restrictions, and logistical challenges have slowed enrolment in Borno, Adamawa, and Cross River States, which host the bulk of new arrivals.

“Registration can take weeks or even months, depending on the state and the availability of NCFRMI personnel,” explained one field officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The data shows that Cameroonians dominate Nigeria’s refugee population, accounting for 86 per cent or approximately 119,208 people fleeing the eight-year-old Anglophone crisis in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions.

Smaller populations originate from Niger (15,011), the Central African Republic (1,053), Syria (1,330), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (598), among others.

Women and girls account for just over half of all refugees, while children represent close to 60 per cent, according to UNHCR statistics.

Most refugees live in host communities across Cross River, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Benue, and Adamawa States, rather than in camps.

Urban centres such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kano also shelter refugees from diverse nationalities, some of whom have been in Nigeria for over a decade.

Nigeria’s open-door policy and adherence to the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Convention require the country to grant asylum to individuals fleeing persecution and conflict.

The NCFRMI, working with the Nigerian Immigration Service and UNHCR, is responsible for registering asylum seekers and conducting Refugee Status Determination procedures, which can take three to six months.

Successful applicants receive refugee identity cards that provide access to work permits, school enrolment, and, in principle, freedom of movement beyond designated settlements.

In 2019, Nigeria began issuing Convention Travel Documents—refugee passports—to enable international travel.

However, during mass influxes, individual asylum procedures are often suspended in favour of group recognition.

In 2024, the government granted 86,000 Cameroonian refugees Temporary Protection Status valid through June 2027, while 20,000 Nigeriens in Damasak received prima facie recognition.

Speaking with our correspondent, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, warned that while Nigeria must fulfil its international obligations, border control agencies must remain vigilant against infiltrators.

“Nigeria is a signatory to the appropriate international instruments, conventions and treaties that grant favour to asylum seekers, especially those under persecution.

“We’re aware of all the people from Cameroon, where there’s some kind of civil unrest. The same goes for Sudan, Syria and parts of Lebanon. Based on those international conventions, Nigeria is obliged to admit and grant them asylum.

“However, given the security situation we face in Nigeria, the relevant agencies should have their eyes peeled to watch out for people who might be used to infiltrate the Nigerian space for any negative objectives,” Amedu-Ode told The PUNCH.

The registration backlog comes as Nigeria grapples with a broader displacement crisis.

According to the UNHCR, the country hosts 3.5 million internally displaced persons, primarily in the North-East, due to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgencies.

In 2024, severe floods affected over 480,000 people in 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including tens of thousands in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, further straining humanitarian resources.

Meanwhile, nearly 408,000 Nigerian refugees remain registered in neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, having fled insurgent violence in the Lake Chad Basin.

In 2025, UNHCR facilitated the return of 26,473 Nigerian refugees through voluntary repatriation programmes, including a landmark Tripartite Agreement signed in February with Chad and Nigeria.

Nigeria’s refugee response is coordinated through a Refugee Response Plan involving government agencies, UN bodies, international NGOs, and civil society organisations.

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