Nigeria Braces for Nationwide Doctors’ Strike as NMA Ultimatum Expires Thursday

Nigeria’s healthcare system is on the precipice of a severe crisis as medical doctors nationwide prepare to embark on an indefinite strike starting Thursday, July 24, 2025. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) confirmed its readiness to withdraw services should the Federal Government fail to address its demands, particularly the immediate withdrawal of a controversial pay review circular, before the expiration of its 21-day ultimatum on Wednesday.

The NMA President, Professor Bala Audu, issued a definitive warning in an exclusive interview on Sunday, stating that the association is fully prepared for decisive action. The ultimatum, originally issued on July 2, came in direct response to a circular released by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on June 27, 2025, which revised allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.

“We have rejected that circular outright,” Professor Audu declared. “We expect that any new directive affecting our members should be the outcome of mutual consultation, not something imposed.” He asserted that the NSIWC circular (Ref: SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646) is “grossly inadequate, misleading, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the spirit and letter of previous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) from 2001, 2009, and 2014.”

The doctors argue that the purported allowance review undermines the remuneration and welfare of medical professionals and fails to address the dire economic realities they face, including soaring inflation and the alarming “Japa syndrome” (brain drain) that sees thousands of doctors leave Nigeria annually.

Key demands of the NMA include:

• Immediate withdrawal of the June 27, 2025, NSIWC circular.
• Correction of consequential adjustments in line with the 2001, 2009, and 2014 CBAs, including the full payment of all outstanding arrears of 25/35 percent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), clinical duty, and accoutrement allowances.
• Immediate and upward review of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to reflect prevailing economic realities.
• Universal application of CONMESS across all medical institutions (federal and state) to curb internal brain drain.
• Implementation of scarce skills allowances for medical consultants, specialist allowances for all doctors, and excess workload allowances.
• Implementation of the 2021 hazard allowance agreement and the revised retirement age for medical practitioners.
• Reversal of the appointment of other healthcare professionals as consultants in hospitals, citing patient safety and the need to maintain medical care standards.

While the NMA had engaged in initial discussions with top government officials, including the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, further meetings were reportedly stalled due to the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari last week. “We expect that after the funeral ceremonies, government stakeholders will reconvene with us, hopefully by Monday. Otherwise, the 21-day ultimatum still stands. If the government fails to prioritize this matter, a strike may be inevitable,” Professor Audu warned.

State branches of the NMA, including those in Katsina, Delta, and the South-West caucus (comprising Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo), have all issued communiqués expressing “grave disappointment” and “unequivocal condemnation” of the circular, affirming their full support for the national body’s directive.

As the deadline looms, Nigerians brace for the severe impact of a nationwide doctors’ strike, which promises to cripple medical services and exacerbate an already struggling healthcare system.