Nigeria’s resident doctors have introduced a new rule limiting call duties to a maximum of 24 hours, citing the urgent need to reduce burnout and protect patient safety. The announcement followed resolutions passed at the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) Annual General Meeting, which took place in Abuja.

The new directive, effective October 1, 2025, mandates that no resident doctor should exceed 24 consecutive hours on duty. After any call duty, there must also be a compulsory rest period before returning to clinical work.

Burnout and Staffing Pressure

NARD leaders explained that most resident doctors currently put in excessive hours, often clocking more than 100 hours per week. Surgical trainees in particular report working as much as 122 hours weekly. The association warned that such schedules have contributed to rising cases of burnout, medical errors, and preventable health complications.

Nigeria’s severe doctor shortage adds to the problem. With about 11,000 resident doctors serving a population of over 240 million people, the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at 1 doctor to more than 9,000 citizens. This ratio is far below the World Health Organization’s recommended benchmark of 1 doctor to 600 citizens.

Call for Government Support

To make the new 24-hour call duty cap effective, NARD urged the federal government to adopt a one-for-one replacement policy. This would ensure every shift covered by a resident doctor is backed by another, preventing service gaps in hospitals.

The association has also appealed for broader structural reforms in the health sector. These include better funding for training programs, timely payment of salaries and allowances, and improved working conditions to discourage the ongoing exodus of medical professionals.

The Ministry of Health has yet to release an official response to the directive, but NARD says it will monitor compliance across its 91 training centers nationwide through chief residents and center presidents.

The decision comes shortly after resident doctors staged a nationwide strike in September over unpaid training allowances and poor working conditions. Many observers believe that introducing clear duty hour limits could ease tensions in the sector while improving patient safety.