The Lagos State Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Friday rejected the Federal Government’s proposed salary structure for medical doctors, describing it as unjust, unprofessional, and capable of further destabilising Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Chairman of the NMA Lagos, Dr. Babajide Saheed, said the proposal undermines clinical responsibility and weakens the structure of professional accountability within the hospitals.
‘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 said.
The NMA accused the Federal Government of ignoring long-established salary relativity that defines the pay structure between medical doctors and other health professionals based on training, clinical responsibility, and risk exposure.
Continuing, he said, ‘This is not a matter of superiority. As the late Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti rightly put it, the hierarchy in health is not about ego but about responsibility. When you blur it, you destroy the chain of accountability’.
According to him, abolishing this relativity would result in confusion and conflict over hospital clinical leadership.
He also condemned the proposal’s inclusion of specialist and honorarium allowances for non-doctors, calling it an affront to those who undergo years of rigorous postgraduate clinical training.
‘These allowances are specifically designed for clinicians recognised by accredited professional colleges. Extending them beyond that undermines the purpose of specialist certification’, he said.
Quoting a World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline, Saheed noted, ‘Specialist remuneration must reflect clinical leadership, depth of knowledge, and risk exposure. This proposal completely ignores that’.
The NMA further objected to the proposed parity between medical doctors and holders of academic doctorates in allied disciplines such as pharmacy and optometry.
‘While we respect every healthcare professional, clinical licensure and patient care responsibilities are not the same as academic qualifications’, he stated.
‘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’.
Saheed further said the Lagos NMA fully supports the 21-day ultimatum issued by the national leadership of the association to the Federal Government.
‘This ultimatum is not an act of aggression but a call for responsible dialogue and correction. We stand by all the demands, including the restoration of salary relativity and reversal of the unjust redistribution of allowances’.
The association also appealed to the Lagos State Government not to adopt the proposed structure until a professionally negotiated and NMA-endorsed agreement is reached.
‘Lagos State has a reputation for healthcare excellence. We urge the government not to compromise that by implementing a flawed and divisive structure’, he warned.
Stating the threat of increased medical brain drain, the NMA warned that Nigeria’s worsening doctor-to-patient ratio, currently about 1:5,000, compared to the WHO-recommended 1:600, could deteriorate further.
He said, ‘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’.
Saheed urged the Federal Government to engage the NMA in constructive, evidence-based dialogue to produce a fair, sustainable, and globally aligned medical salary framework.
‘We are not against reform. But any reform must be just, professional, and based on the realities of clinical work in Nigeria.
‘This is about the survival of our healthcare system and the respect for those who carry its heaviest burdens’.
