Medical academics tell FG to resolve welfare dispute in 21 days or face industrial action

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics, NAMDA, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude negotiations on the welfare and conditions of service of its members, or risk a nationwide industrial action capable of disrupting medical education in Nigerian universities.
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 6, 2026, where members reviewed the progress of negotiations with the Federal Government on the renegotiation of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Presenting the communiqué at a press conference, through its president, Dr. Orhue Nosa Lancy, the association lamented 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.
According to NAMDA, repeated attempts to get the government to respond to its proposals had yielded no result, even as agreements had been concluded with other university-based unions.
At the event also attended by Prof. Anieken Peter, Acting Secretary; Dr. Mohammed Askira, National Liaison Secretary;Uyi Osarenkhoe, National Chairman, Remuneration Committee, the association said the delay had denied its members the implementation of key academic and professional allowances, including Earned Academic Allowance and Excess Workload Allowance, warning that the situation had worsened low morale and accelerated the migration of medical academics abroad.
It argued that while the Federal Government’s plan to increase the number of medical and dental graduates was commendable, such efforts would amount to little if lecturers responsible for training the country’s future doctors continued to suffer poor remuneration and unfavourable working conditions.
NAMDA commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for supporting improved remuneration for medical and dental academics and for recommending that they be paid on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). However, it insisted that the recommendation must be backed by an enforceable directive to all universities in line with the 1990 Federal Executive Council approval.
The association also expressed concern over what it described as the forced migration of medical academics aged 65 and above from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), describing the practice as unlawful and contrary to the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
It said the action amounted to demotion, loss of earnings and reduced pension benefits for affected academics.
NAMDA further condemned its exclusion from key decision-making bodies, including the Implementation Monitoring Committee for the Presidential Needs Assessment Intervention, stating that decisions affecting medical academics should not be taken without the association’s participation.
The union also rejected the National Universities Commission’s insistence on PhD qualifications for medical academics, maintaining that fellowship qualifications already provide the research, teaching and clinical competencies required for academic practice.
It urged the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to immediately begin awarding PhD degrees, as empowered by its enabling law and existing court judgments, and to commence fellowship programmes in Medical Physiology, Medical Biochemistry, Human Anatomy, and Pharmacology.
Among its resolutions, the NEC demanded the immediate implementation of the special pension benefits approved by the Federal Executive Council for hospital-based academics and called on the Ministries of Labour and Health to facilitate payment through the National Pension Commission.
The association reaffirmed that the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure remains the only acceptable salary platform for medical and dental academics, warning that any attempt to place its members on another salary structure would trigger immediate industrial action.
It subsequently issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude negotiations and address its demands, warning that industrial harmony could no longer be guaranteed after the notice expired.
The NEC directed all state branches to convene congresses within one week to brief members on the resolutions and to organize press conferences to communicate the association’s position to university authorities.
While expressing readiness to continue dialogue, NAMDA warned that continued neglect of the legitimate demands of medical and dental academics would leave it with no option but to deploy all lawful trade union mechanisms to protect the rights and welfare of its members.
The association reiterated that improving the welfare of medical lecturers was critical to strengthening medical education and Nigeria’s healthcare system.
NAMDA, however, acknowledged the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to improve university education and resolve disputes involving other university unions, urging the Federal Government to extend similar benefits to medical and dental academics.
It also commended the Minister of Education for his commitment to resolving long-standing labour issues in the education sector and praised the Federal Government’s preparedness against a possible Ebola outbreak, pledging the support of its members in national public health response efforts if required.