The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced the completion of administrative processing for the payment of 19 months’ outstanding Professional Allowance (PAT) arrears, with members expected to receive their payments by Monday, November 9, 2026.
The association’s President, Dr Ogar Emmanuel Idoko, disclosed this in an update to members, explaining that the payment schedule had been finalised but the disbursement was delayed by discrepancies discovered during the final verification exercise.
According to him, the association identified errors that could have resulted in some resident doctors receiving less than their actual entitlements and consequently demanded corrections before the payment could proceed.
Idoko confirmed that the discrepancies had been resolved and the corrected payment file uploaded for processing.
He attributed the remaining delay to slow processing on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) portal, which prevented the transaction from being completed before the Central Bank of Nigeria’s weekend payment session.
He explained that payments could reflect earlier if the CBN’s payment window remained open; otherwise, beneficiaries should expect their alerts on Monday.
In a related development, the NARD president announced that the association had secured an agreement for the January 2026 retroactive Professional Allowance arrears to be paid alongside November 2026 salaries.
The outstanding 19-month allowance has been a major concern for resident doctors, with its settlement remaining one of the key priorities of the association’s current leadership since its inauguration in Calabar.
Idoko said his administration had consistently engaged relevant authorities to secure the payment of members’ outstanding entitlements.
Acknowledging the financial difficulties doctors had experienced while awaiting their payments, he expressed understanding of their frustrations and appreciated their patience despite the prolonged delay.
He maintained that the association would not sacrifice accuracy for speed if doing so could lead to some members receiving less than they were owed.
“I would rather explain a brief delay caused by correcting payment errors than celebrate a hurried payment that shortchanges our members,” he stated.
He further assured members that the leadership would remain committed to protecting their entitlements until all outstanding payments were settled.
“We may not control every administrative process, but we will remain vigilant, persistent and accountable until every legitimate entitlement is paid,” he added.
The NARD president appealed to members to remain patient and maintain confidence in the association’s leadership, assuring them of continued efforts to ensure that all legitimate outstanding payments are made.
He also thanked members for their understanding, solidarity and continued support, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to its promise under the slogan, “Trust the Process.”
