Medical academics give FG 21-day ultimatum to meet demands

By Ojoma Akor

The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has given the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to meet its demands, failure of which will result in it no longer guaranteeing industrial harmony.

The association issued the warning in a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, where members reviewed the progress of negotiations with the Federal Government on the welfare, remuneration, and conditions of service of its members in Nigerian Universities and Tertiary Health Institutions.

Presenting the communiqué at a press conference in Abuja, President of the association, Dr. Orhue Nosa Lancy, said that negotiations with the Federal Government had remained stalled since April 9, 2026, despite the submission of its minimum demands through the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Federal Government Expanded Renegotiation Committee.

NAMDA lamented that during this same period, the federal government concluded and signed agreements with more university-based unions, except NAMDA, creating serious agitation amongst Medical and Dental Academics in the Nigerian University System (NUS).

We are disappointed that the Federal Ministry of Education, represented by the Alhaji Yayale-led FGN Expanded Renegotiation CBA Committee, has continued to delay the conclusion of negotiations with NAMDA, despite several formal and informal communications and repeated efforts by the union to engage the Ministry in constructive dialogue.

It reaffirmed that the implementation of the 1990 Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval, as contained in Circular 1, 1991, should serve as the basis for remunerating medical and dental academics in the NUS.

“The NAMDA is keeping faith with the FEC approval of 1990, with the FGN having recognized the peculiarity of her members as far back as 1974; hence the decision of 1990. Any changes outside the 1990 FEC approvals risk taking medical academics back to the career-progression and welfare challenges that existed before 1974, and that is unacceptable.

“This deliberate delay has caused non-implementation and loss of payment of academic and professorial allowances, inclusive of Earned Academic Allowances/ Excess Workload Allowance (EAA/EWL) for members of NAMDA.

“This has damaged their morale, with the risk of brain drain (Japa Syndrome), with the consequent negative impact on the rate and quality of training of medical doctors for the nation’s health services and educational sector.

“The desire of the government to increase the number of Medical and Dental Doctors graduating annually, while being commendable, is not being aggressively followed up by ensuring that the remuneration and welfare of those to train or produce such graduates are given the priority it deserves.”

NAMDA further said that the effort of the Minister of Education to ensure that Medical Academics are paid appropriately commensurate with their counterparts in the health sector, as contained in his communication with the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), is commendable but has to be in line with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of 1990, as contained in Circular 1, 1991. The FGN has since recognized the challenges of medical academics as far back as 1974, hence the decision of 1990.

The association rejected the forced retirement or migration of her members over the age of 65 from CONMESS to CONUASS, which would amount to a demotion. This action by some universities amounts to demotion, loss of pay and status, with attendant pension loss, it said.

It called on the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment to ensure the immediate implementation of the special pension benefits as reaffirmed on the 24th of July 2025 contained in the CBA between the FG and NAMDA by requesting the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to communicate the content of the CBA to Pension Commission (PENCOM) as she requested to enable commencement of payment to deserving retired Hospital consultants.

NAMDA reaffirmed that the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) should continue to be the payment platform for Medical and Dental academics, as it aligns with the FEC approval of 1990 and addresses the longstanding disparities in entry point, career progression, remuneration, pension benefits, and other conditions of service affecting her members.

It also warned that, under no circumstances, will the medical and dental academics at the NUS accept any salary structure other than CONMESS, as any attempt to do so forcibly will immediately result in industrial action.

The association said, “NEC condemned the continued exclusion of NAMDA from critical decision-making processes affecting her members, including membership of the IMC of the Presidential NEEDS assessment intervention.

“NEC reaffirmed her rejection of the imposition of PhD by NUC on medical academics in the NUS, as the Fellowship qualifications contain the requirements needed for capacity for research, the training and teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. “

NAMDA also resolved that the National Medical College of Nigeria (NMCN) should commence the award of PhD as the enabling act and court judgment already confer the power over postgraduate medical education on her and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The NMCN was further encouraged to commence, as a matter of urgency, the fellowship program in the specialties of medical physiology, medical biochemistry, human anatomy, and pharmacology.

The association asked all branches to immediately convene congresses to brief members on the NEC meeting outcome, the association’s minimum demands, and the proposed course of action.

The union directed its members to organize press conferences and present the NEC’s resolutions to the branch’s university management within one week.

It said the NEC reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and dialogue. Still, it warned that continued neglect of the legitimate demands of medical and dental academics would leave the Association with no option but to deploy all lawful trade union mechanisms to protect the rights and welfare of its members.

“NEC reiterated its commitment to improving medical education in Nigeria and ensuring that medical and dental academics receive fair remuneration, equitable career progression and appropriate recognition for their critical role in training the nation’s healthcare workforce.

“NEC therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently conclude negotiations with NAMDA in the interest of industrial harmony, uninterrupted medical education and the strengthening of Nigeria’s healthcare system.”