Nigerian doctors threaten shutdown over slashed federal allowances

DDM News

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has issued a stern ultimatum to the federal government, threatening a nationwide strike starting Thursday, July 25, 2025.

This decision follows the government’s failure to address grievances related to a controversial circular altering doctors’ allowances.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the circular, released on June 27, 2025, by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), made unilateral changes to the financial entitlements of medical and dental officers.

According to the NMA, the changes were implemented without meaningful consultation and contradict three earlier collective bargaining agreements signed in 2001, 2009, and 2014.

The NMA President, Professor Bala Audu, described the circular as “obnoxious” and accused the government of undermining the medical profession.

He stated that the revised allowances severely affect senior consultants and introduce policies never previously negotiated with the medical body.

Audu emphasized that the move not only reduces existing benefits but also erodes the morale of healthcare workers across the country.

The association warned that failure to address these concerns could result in a complete shutdown of healthcare services in federal institutions.

In solidarity with the national body, NMA chapters in Ekiti and Katsina states have voiced strong opposition to the circular.

They pledged to join the proposed industrial action if the government does not withdraw the document.

Despite several meetings between government officials and the NMA, no resolution has been reached.

The Ministers of Health and State for Health, Professors Muhammad Pate and Iziaq Salako, have engaged the NMA in dialogue, but these talks have yet to yield tangible results.

In response to mounting pressure, the federal government temporarily suspended implementation of the circular.

This move came after intervention by the Minister of Finance, who also chairs the Presidential Committee on Salaries.

The suspension is meant to allow further consultation with relevant stakeholders, but the NMA insists it is not enough.

The doctors are demanding a complete withdrawal of the circular and the reinstatement of previously agreed salary structures.

This confrontation highlights longstanding issues in Nigeria’s health sector, particularly around doctors’ welfare, working conditions, and the chronic underfunding of the system.

Health workers in Nigeria have consistently raised concerns about infrastructure decay, poor remuneration, and brain drain, with thousands leaving the country annually.

Unless a breakthrough is achieved, Nigeria risks facing a severe medical shutdown at a time when the health sector is already stretched thin.

The NMA has reiterated its readiness to act if its demands are ignored, stating clearly that the wellbeing of doctors cannot be sacrificed without consequences.

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