Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed new salary structure for medical doctors, calling it “unjust, unprofessional and dangerous for Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.”
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, the Lagos NMA Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, said, “After extensive review and consultations with stakeholders, we find the proposed structure deeply flawed and potentially damaging to the integrity of our health system.”
He argued that the plan disregards the longstanding salary relativity that differentiates pay based on clinical risk, years of training, and responsibility, warning that abolishing this principle would “destroy the chain of accountability” and weaken clinical leadership within hospitals.
The Association also criticised the inclusion of specialist and honorarium allowances for non-medical doctors and rejected proposed salary parity between clinicians and those with academic doctorates in allied fields.
Dr. Saheed stressed, “It is misleading and professionally indefensible to equate a Doctor of Pharmacy with a certified medical consultant. No developed health system operates like that—not in the UK, Canada, or Australia.”
He urged the Lagos State Government not to adopt the new structure until a fair, professionally negotiated agreement is reached, noting that “Lagos State has a reputation for healthcare excellence. We urge the government not to compromise that by implementing a flawed and divisive structure.”
Experts warn that if the Federal Government fails to address these concerns, an impending doctors’ strike could worsen the country’s critical brain drain and healthcare delivery crisis.
With Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio at about 1:5,000—far from the World Health Organisation’s recommended 1:600—Dr. Saheed lamented that, “Doctors are already leaving in droves. This structure will only push more out of the system. Behind every emigrating doctor is a collapsing clinic and a patient left behind.”
Analysts caution that a nationwide strike could shut down public hospitals, increase preventable deaths, and push more Nigerians to seek costly medical care abroad.
Saheed concluded with a call for “evidence-based, constructive engagement” to produce a fair and globally competitive pay structure that respects the vital role of doctors in sustaining Nigeria’s healthcare system.
