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Lagos doctors reject federal pay proposal, warn of looming healthcare crisis
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State chapter, has firmly rejected the Federal Government’s proposed new salary structure for medical doctors, describing it as unjust, professionally flawed, and a direct threat to the already fragile healthcare system in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, NMA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, said the new proposal ignores clinical realities, undermines hospital leadership, and risks triggering widespread unrest across the medical sector.
“After careful analysis and extensive consultation with key stakeholders, we find this proposed pay structure fundamentally defective and dangerous to the integrity of our healthcare system,” Saheed said.
He criticised the plan for eroding long-established salary relativity, a principle that differentiates remuneration among healthcare professionals based on years of training, clinical responsibilities, and risk exposure.
“This is not about superiority,” Saheed explained. “As the late Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti once said, the hierarchy in health is about responsibility, not ego. Blurring that structure only breeds confusion and weakens accountability.”
The association expressed concern that abolishing salary relativity would disrupt clinical command chains and create leadership vacuums in hospitals, ultimately jeopardising patient care. Saheed warned that such disruption could have far-reaching consequences, especially in a system already struggling with understaffing and brain drain.
The NMA Lagos also rejected the proposed inclusion of specialist and honorarium allowances for non-medical doctors, saying those benefits were designed for certified clinicians who undergo rigorous postgraduate training recognised by accredited medical colleges.
“These allowances reflect years of clinical practice and advanced certification. Extending them to non-clinicians dilutes their purpose and undermines specialist standards,” Saheed said.
Citing World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, he stressed that specialist compensation must reflect the burden of clinical leadership and the risks inherent in patient care—something the federal proposal reportedly fails to acknowledge.
The association further condemned attempts to equate medical doctors with holders of academic doctorate degrees in other health-related fields, such as pharmacy and optometry.
“We respect all health professionals,” Saheed said. “But a Doctor of Pharmacy is not the same as a certified medical consultant. Clinical licensure, patient responsibility, and years of hands-on training cannot be equated with academic degrees. No serious health system in the world, whether in the UK, Canada, or Australia, operates on such parity.”
Reaffirming solidarity with the national body of the NMA, the Lagos chapter backed the 21-day ultimatum recently issued to the Federal Government, calling it a necessary response to protect professional standards and ensure fairness in the system.
“This ultimatum is a call for reasoned dialogue, not hostility,” Saheed said. “We support all the demands made by the national leadership—especially the restoration of salary relativity and reversal of unjustified reallocation of allowances.”
He also urged the Lagos State Government to resist adopting the controversial federal proposal until a fair and professionally negotiated framework is agreed upon by the NMA and relevant authorities.
“Lagos has always been a leader in healthcare delivery. We appeal to the state government not to sacrifice that legacy by implementing a divisive and counterproductive pay structure,” he cautioned.
Highlighting the worsening exodus of doctors from Nigeria, Saheed painted a grim picture of the country’s dwindling healthcare workforce. With a current doctor-to-patient ratio of about 1:5,000—far below the WHO’s recommended 1:600—he warned that the proposed structure would further accelerate brain drain.
“Doctors are already leaving in alarming numbers,” he said. “This policy will only worsen the situation. Every doctor that leaves means one more clinic struggling and hundreds of patients left without care.”
He concluded by calling for meaningful, data-driven engagement with medical professionals to develop a salary framework that recognises the unique demands of clinical work in Nigeria.
“We are open to reform—but it must be just, evidence-based, and grounded in the realities of medical practice in this country. This is not just about pay; it’s about the survival of our healthcare system and the dignity of those who carry its burdens every day.”