Posted on: Tue 29-07-2025

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has thrown down the gauntlet, issuing a scathing 21-day ultimatum for a total and indefinite strike starting July 27, 2025, unless the Federal Government addresses the dire plight of the nation’s doctors. The decision came at the end of an Emergency Delegates Meeting (EDM) held on July 26, 2025, at the Royal Choice Hotel in Abuja, where delegates from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) united in frustration over years of broken promises and systemic neglect.

The communique, signed by NMA President Dr. Bala Audu and Secretary General Dr. Benjamin Egbo, lays bare a litany of grievances. At the heart of the crisis is the government’s failure to pay seven months of accrued arrears from the last Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) adjustment, coupled with the suspension—rather than withdrawal—of a recent circular from the National Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission (NSIWC) reviewing CONMESS. The association also condemned the government’s consistent disregard for previously signed Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and its apparent abandonment of the health sector, a neglect that has fueled a staggering 1 billion USD annual exodus of Nigerians seeking medical care abroad, according to a 2023 Lancet study.

The EDM’s resolutions are a clarion call for action, with the association expressing alarm over the potential for increased brain drain—a phenomenon already documented in a 2019 Journal of Public Health study showing a 70percent surge in doctor emigration due to poor working conditions. Delegates decried the government’s hypocrisy, noting that officials often seek treatment overseas while leaving Nigeria’s healthcare system to crumble, a trend that has left hospitals underfunded by an estimated 5 billion USD annually, per a 2022 World Bank report.

In a rare moment of unity, the meeting also extended condolences for the recent passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, but the tone quickly shifted to outrage. The NMA highlighted that none of its 19 demands—including better wages and infrastructure—have been met, accusing the government of insensitivity to doctors working under “unpleasant conditions and economic realities.” The strike threat looms large, echoing the 64-day NARD strike in 2020 that forced temporary concessions, though many remain unfulfilled.

As the 21-day clock ticks down, the NMA has mandated its National Officers Committee (NOC) and National Technical Negotiating Team (NTNT) to leverage their expertise in negotiations. Yet, with a history of stalled talks and unmet ultimatums, optimism is tempered by skepticism. The association has called on all Nigerian doctors to stand firm, warning that failure to act could plunge the health sector into further chaos, leaving patients to bear the brunt of a government unwilling to prioritize its medical workforce.

The ball is now in the Federal Government’s court. Will it heed this wake-up call, or will Nigeria’s healthcare system face yet another crippling standoff? The nation watches anxiously as the deadline approaches

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