Nigerian Doctors Announces Plan To Begin Nationwide Strike On Thursday

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has warned that doctors will begin a nationwide strike on Thursday if the Federal Government fails to meet their demands before the July 23 deadline.

NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, made this known in an interview on Sunday, saying the association is ready to take strong action if the government continues to ignore the issues affecting the medical profession.

According to him, the demands are not just about salaries, but about the future of healthcare in Nigeria and the well-being of medical professionals.

The warning comes after the association gave the government a 21-day ultimatum on July 2.

The doctors are protesting a recent circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission that reviewed allowances for medical and dental officers.

The NMA claims the circular violates existing agreements and was introduced without proper consultation.

Prof. Audu explained that the association has completely rejected the circular and expects the government to withdraw it.

He added that any changes to doctors’ pay or allowances should come only after mutual discussions, not by force.

“We have made our position clear. The ultimatum ends on July 23, and if the Federal Government does not address our demands, we may have no choice but to proceed with a strike.

“We have rejected that circular outright. We expect that any new directive affecting our members should be the outcome of mutual consultation, not something imposed,” he stated.

Audu confirmed that the association has already started talks with government officials in an attempt to resolve the issue.

“The last meeting happened two weeks ago and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate; the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako; the Permanent Secretary, the Director of Hospital Services, and the representative of minister of labour were at the meeting, and some affiliate of the NMA were present, and I was part of that meeting as well.

“The minister appreciated us, then he spoke about the issues as contained in the list of demands from the NMA.

“However, he felt that we should go for a further meeting, and another meeting was slated for last week, unfortunately, in the week, we lost the former President Muhammadu Buhari, so the meeting couldn’t be held.

“However, the next meeting is supposed to happen between us, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which issued a circular that we feel is obnoxious, and we have rejected it. We would also meet with the Ministry of Finance and representatives from the Ministry of Health,” he added.

The NMA president expressed concern that time was running out, adding that unless the meeting was held within the next few days, the association may be left with no other alternative but industrial action.

“We expect that after the funeral ceremonies, government stakeholders will reconvene with us, hopefully by Monday. Otherwise, the 21-day ultimatum still stands.

“If the government fails to prioritise this matter, a strike may be inevitable,” he added.

KanyiDaily recalls that government-employed doctors in Ondo State, under the National Association of Government General and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), recently embarked on a three-day warning strike.