Coronavirus: Doctors in Nigeria's capital to begin strike

Resident doctors in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, will begin an “indefinite” strike on Tuesday morning over non-payment of what they term as “Covid-19 hazard and inducement allowance” since April.

The Association of Resident Doctors said the authorities had failed to fulfil pledges to pay its members who are working in coronavirus isolation and treatment centres as well as hospitals.

It said the strike comes after the expiry of a 14-day ultimatum it had given the authorities.

The association’s leaders, in a statement, said they also want the government to address non-payment of promotion arrears since 2016, non-remittance of deductions including pensions and non-payment of rural allowances.

The authorities in the Nigerian capital have not yet commented on the strike. But the doctors have vowed they will not go back to work until their demands are met.

Nigeria has so far confirmed 54,008 coronavirus cases with 41,638 recoveries and 1,013 deaths, according to the country’s Centre for Disease Control.

The capital Abuja is the second worst hit after the commercial hub Lagos. But the country’s number of daily confirmed infections are beginning to decline.