The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet a list of demands, including the implementation of a ₦3 million monthly salary for the lowest-paid medical academic, and the immediate restoration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) it had with the medical workers.
The association is also, among other requests, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the June 2025 circular on review of medical and dental officers’ allowances by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and be replaced with the CBAs of 2001, 2009 and 2014.
According to the NAMDA President, Dr. Nosa Orhue, during a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 5, 2025, the association reaffirmed its full support for the 21-day ultimatum earlier issued by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), citing the government’s continued failure to resolve long-standing issues affecting its members.
He said that while NAMDA supports the vision of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and is not opposed to the recent deployment of Nigerian doctors to St. Lucia under the programme, the wide disparity in remuneration is unacceptable and must be urgently addressed, as it poses a serious risk of accelerating brain drain among medical professionals.
“Our members are demanding nothing more than what the government has deemed fair to offer Nigerian doctors working abroad under official arrangements.
“If a doctor serving in St. Lucia earns the equivalent of ₦3 million monthly, there is no justification for paying a medical academic in Nigeria far less,” Orhue said.
Orhue asserted that the association had formally declared a trade dispute with the Federal Government on June 19, 2025, and that all unresolved issues listed in the letter to the Minister of Labour remain valid.
These, he said, include the non-implementation of pension benefits for hospital-based academics and medical professors, as outlined in Circular 1 of 1991 and the University Miscellaneous Act of 2012, as well as the Pension Reform Act of 2014.
He further condemned the failure to pay seven months’ arrears of 25/35% allowances, clinical duty, and accoutrement allowances for medical academics in universities and research institutions, calling it a breach of negotiated agreements.
“In addition, we demand the immediate withdrawal of the NSIWC circular dated June 27, 2025, which attempts to review allowances for medical and dental officers outside the framework of existing collective bargaining agreements.
“It must be replaced with a circular that respects the provisions of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and the CBAs of 2001, 2009, and 2014,” Dr. Orhue noted.
The NAMDA president described as unacceptable the withholding of salaries following the 2022 ASUU strike, saying, “Our members are not members of ASUU and should not be victims of actions they did not participate in. This injustice must be corrected without delay.”
He also raised alarm over the dearth of academic manpower in medical schools across the country and called for urgent measures to bridge the gap.
“The situation is critical. Medical schools are overstretched, and the current structure is unsustainable.
“We are also calling for the separation of BSc degree programmes in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry from basic medical sciences to reduce the workload on medical academics,” he said.
Dr. Orhue rejected what he described as a discriminatory hazard allowance circular and insisted on a review of the modalities for disbursing Earned Academic Allowances, along with a full review of the 2009 FGN academic staff agreement as it applies to medical academics.
“We reject any attempt to marginalise medical academics in the implementation of benefits due to other health professionals. The government must reverse the discriminatory treatment of our members and restore equity in the system,” he added.
NAMDA also aligned with several core demands made by the NMA, including an immediate review of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, implementation of the new minimum wage for house officers, and application of CONMESS across all tiers of government to stem the tide of internal brain drain.
“The same relativity in professional allowances must be maintained, especially with regard to call duty. We are also demanding that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria reverse its new specialist categorization and release the Medical Residency Training Fund for 2025,” Dr. Orhue said.
He further demanded the issuance of a circular establishing the retirement age of 65 for healthcare professionals and 70 for medical consultants, and called for the immediate recall and regularisation of all doctors dismissed from the National Hospital, Abuja, and other affected institutions in line with National Assembly directives.
“We have been patient for too long. The failure of the government to act on these legitimate demands can no longer be tolerated.
“If our issues are not addressed within 15 days from today, we will be forced to take action in defence of our members’ rights and the future of medical education and healthcare in Nigeria per the dictates of our constitution,” Dr. Orhue warned.
