The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a recent circular on allowances and the implementation of longstanding salary agreements, warning of potential disruption to healthcare services nationwide if the demands are not met.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, the NMA President, Professor Bala Audu, condemned a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) dated June 27, 2025. The circular, with reference number SWC/5/04/5.218/III/646, outlined adjustments to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical and dental practitioners in the federal public service.
Professor Audu described the circular as “grossly inadequate, misleading, and a flagrant violation” of existing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) previously reached between the NMA and the Federal Government.
“The Nigerian Medical Association expresses grave disappointment and unequivocally condemns the circular purportedly issued to address the consequential adjustment of allowances. It violates the spirit and letter of agreements painstakingly negotiated and represents a significant betrayal of trust,” Audu said.
The association’s demands include the immediate withdrawal of the NSIWC circular and the issuance of a new directive that reflects prior agreements reached in 2001, 2009, and 2014. It also called for correction of salary relativity between CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), and alignment of all professional allowances in line with the 2001 CBA, particularly those related to call duty.
Other key demands include:
- Settlement of all outstanding arrears of 25/35 per cent CONMESS, clinical duty, and accoutrement allowances owed to medical and dental practitioners.
- Immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and an upward review of the MRTF in line with current economic realities.
- Immediate commencement of long-overdue negotiations for the review of the CONMESS through the appropriate Collective Bargaining framework.
- Release of the agreed circulars on clinical duty and other allowances for honorary consultants, as negotiated in January 2024.
- Implementation of specialist and scarce skills allowances for all eligible doctors.
- Approval of excess workload allowances and the enforcement of hazard allowance terms agreed upon in the 2021 CBA.
- Full implementation of the 2024 CONMESS circular for house officers and uniform application of CONMESS across all federal and state health institutions to address internal brain drain.
In a strongly worded section of his address, Prof. Audu also called for the reversal of recent appointments of non-physician healthcare professionals as consultants in hospitals, citing concerns about patient safety and professional standards in medical care.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the NMA president affirmed the association’s commitment to dialogue, highlighting that the union had consistently engaged with the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in good faith.
“As a responsible and responsive association, we have continuously shown goodwill and have engaged relevant government agencies with utmost respect and sincerity,” Audu stated. “We remain open to further dialogue but insist that our rightful entitlements must be appropriately addressed.”
The association warned that failure to address its concerns within 21 days could lead to industrial action, potentially disrupting healthcare delivery across the country.
“We hereby expect that attention will be given to our demands within the next 21 days to avert disruption in the health services rendered to the Nigerian people,” Audu concluded.