Frontline doctors in Nigerian public hospitals have ended a three-week strike after meeting with lawmakers.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said the strike was called off following a “fruitful meeting” with the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
The doctors had been striking to demand a pay rise after the government removed a subsidy on petrol, which led to a sharp increase in fuel prices.
The strike had caused widespread disruption to healthcare services in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
In a statement, NARD president Orji Emeka Innocent said the doctors were confident that there would be “light at the end of the tunnel” after their meeting with Akpabio.
He said the lawmakers had “demonstrated their willingness to help” the doctors and that they were “committed to finding a lasting solution to the problems facing the health sector.”
Akpabio said he was “pleased” that the doctors had agreed to call off the strike and that he would continue to work with them to improve the conditions for healthcare workers in Nigeria.
The strike is the latest sign of the challenges facing the new government of President Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu, who was sworn in at the end of May, has been under pressure from unions to offer relief to households and businesses after he scrapped the fuel subsidy.
The president has also been criticized for his slow pace of appointments.
Lawmakers on Aug. 7 approved 45 cabinet nominees, but Tinubu has yet to announce a date for their swearing-in.
