NARD decries poor welfare, threatens strike

After a very rowdy meeting from 2.30 pm on Saturday to 4.00 a.m. yesterday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) agreed to suspend its proposed strike over the new circular issued by the National Salary Income and Wages Commission on reviewed allowances for Medical and Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service and to give the government another 21 days to address the issues in contention, The Guardian has learnt.

This was as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) raised fresh concerns over the deteriorating welfare of medical professionals in the country, warning that persistent neglect by the government worsens brain drain in the health sector.

Meanwhile, the NMA signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government on the implementation of agreements reached on the adjustment of salary packages and the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria, among others.

The association had, on July 2, 2025, rejected the new circular issued by the National Salary Income and Wages Commission, which reviewed allowances for Medical and Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service, describing it as a violation of previous collective bargaining agreements. 

While calling for immediate intervention by President Bola Tinubu, the government was given 21 days to come up with a new circular that reflects previous agreements, to avert disruption in the health services rendered to Nigerians. 

President of NMA, Prof Bala Audu, noted that the circular (SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646) dated June 27, 2025, was grossly misleading and constituted a flagrant violation of the spirit and letter of the agreements painstakingly reached during the collective bargaining process between NMA and the Federal Government. 

The Guardian gathered that after the ultimatum was issued, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, invited the association to a meeting to find out their grievance.

It was learnt that at another meeting held on this issue on July 22, on the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment and had in attendance the Minister of Health, Director-General of Budget Office, representative of the Minister of Finance and the Chairman, National Salaries and Wages Commission and the host minister, it was agreed that a sub-committee meeting should be convened.

Sources at the meeting disclosed to The Guardian that the government agreed to sign a new MOU with the NMA on Friday; however, only a few people from the government’s negotiating team were in attendance, leaving the NMA delegates in annoyance.
  
At the close of its National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting and Scientific Conference in Calabar, Cross River State, at the weekend, NARD President, Dr Tope Osundara, told journalists that the association handed the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to address a long-standing list of grievances or risk renewed industrial action.
  
“Our healthcare system is haemorrhaging skilled workers, and rather than act, the government seems content with watching it crumble,” she said
 The association’s 14-point demand includes immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), settlement of salary arrears following the 25 per cent and 35 per cent CONMESS salary adjustment, and the overdue inclusion of house officers in the civil service scheme. 
  
They are also calling for reforms to streamline the promotion process for doctors, which they say is bogged down by needless bureaucracy.  NARD condemned the failure of key regulatory bodies to fully recognise qualifications earned by doctors. 
  
The group criticised the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for devaluing certificates from the West African College of Physicians and Surgeons, and expressed dismay that the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) had not been issuing corresponding certifications.
  
Beyond personnel issues, NARD highlighted deep-rooted governance problems in federal hospitals, including the lack of functioning Boards of Management in many tertiary institutions, a vacuum the association said was undermining service delivery and accountability.
  
It also called out the governments of Kaduna and Oyo states for failing to honour previous welfare agreements with health workers, warning that their inaction could trigger a fresh wave of industrial disputes. 
 
However, NARD praised the Ogun and Kano governments for making timely payments of the MRTF and demonstrating commitment to improving healthcare services.
  
Osundsra criticised the Federal Government’s continued reliance on foreign hospitals for medical treatment, calling it “a national embarrassment.  He added: “Our leaders jet out for treatment of conditions that our doctors are qualified to manage, if only they had the right tools and support. It’s time we invested in our hospitals, not just for the people, but for the leaders too.”
  
According to him, the issue goes beyond remuneration. “This is about professional dignity, about halting the exodus of our best-trained doctors and, ultimately, about saving lives.”  The NEC is expected to reconvene in three weeks to review the government’s response and decide on the next line of action.