Nigeria’s resident doctors have announced a new directive limiting call duties to a maximum of 24 hours to prevent burnout or untimely death.
In a statement issued on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said that with effect from 1 October 2025, doctors across the country would no longer take continuous calls beyond a full day. The directive mandates a call-free period following every shift.
NARD described the policy as “vital and necessary, in line with the principles of self-preservation enshrined in the Hippocratic Oath”.
Oluwafemi Rotifa, the young resident doctor and former medical students’ leader, was buried earlier in September after colleagues said he died on duty from exhaustion. While an autopsy is pending, his death sparked outrage in the medical community and renewed calls for reform.
The statement, signed by Mohammad Suleiman, the Association’s president, Shuaibu Ibrahim, secretary-general, and publicity and social secretary, Abdulmajid Ibrahim, warned that the excessive demands placed on resident doctors had become unsustainable.
“With an estimated population of over 240 million people and only about 11,000 resident doctors, Nigeria records a ratio of 1:9,083 — far from global best practice. Resident doctors work an average of 106.5 hours per week, with surgical residents enduring over 122.7 hours. This translates to four to five 24-hour calls weekly”, NARD stated.
The Association said such workloads not only compromise patient care but also endanger doctors’ lives. “This situation inevitably leads to increased medical errors due to burnout, with a severe toll on the mental, physical and psychological well-being of doctors. Too often, resident doctors sacrifice their health, and sometimes their lives, in service to their patients”, it noted.
NARD described the doctors who remain in the country despite mass emigration as “patriots and heroes” who deserve protection and fair remuneration. “We cannot continue to lose our members to preventable and avoidable deaths, not now, and not in the future,” it said.
The Association urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to introduce a one-to-one replacement policy to ease the workload and to implement regulations safeguarding against excessive call hours.
“The painful question remains, Who cares for the families and dependents of young doctors who pay the ultimate price? And how many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?”
