FCT NMA Rejects New Salary Structure
The National Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, has joined its national body in rejecting a controversial circular released by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
The FCT NMA, led by Dr Emeka Ayogu, announced its position in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday following an emergency council meeting consisting of all affiliate heads and executive council members.
The disputed circular, issued by the NSIWC on June 27, 2025, was intended to adjust allowances under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
However, medical associations nationwide have criticised it for allegedly eroding the relativity structure in the healthcare sector and violating Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) from 2001, 2009, and 2014.
Members of the association had said the new structure disregards salary relativity between doctors and other health workers.
They explained that this relativity is not based on superiority but reflects the difference in training duration, clinical responsibility, risk exposure, and leadership roles unique to the medical profession.
According to the association, removing this structure weakens the professional framework that ensures clear clinical responsibility and decision-making in our hospitals.
On July 2, the NMA issued an ultimatum in protest against the circular on revised allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service. The doctors argue that the circular violates prior agreements and has drawn widespread criticism from medical associations, including the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.
The NMA maintained that the circular has worsened tensions in an already fragile healthcare sector by failing to honour previous Collective Bargaining Agreements spanning over two decades.
The FCT NMA presented 18 demands to the government, including the immediate withdrawal of what they term the “obnoxious circular” and immediate payment of all outstanding wages and allowances owed by the federal government.
The association is also demanding prompt initiation of long-delayed collective bargaining agreement talks regarding the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS).
Additional demands include an upward review of the CONMESS scheme by 300 percent, immediate release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) owed to members, approval of specialist allowances for all doctors, implementation of scarce skills allowances to medical consultants, issuance of a circular implementing the reviewed retirement age for medical and dental practitioners, and implementation of the 2021 hazard allowance agreement.
According to the association, the circular represents a clear violation of agreements reached through collective bargaining between the NMA and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The FCT NMA warned that allowing the government’s circular to stand would have severe consequences, including demoralizing doctors and aggravating existing tensions among the few dedicated doctors who have chosen to remain and serve in Nigeria.
The association noted that the development serves as a push factor, fueling the ongoing brain drain “JAPA” syndrome and promoting industrial disharmony while worsening the doctor-to-patient ratio of one doctor to 10,000 patients.
It stressed that the development will have a serious negative impact on healthcare service delivery across the country.
In light of these concerns, the NMA said that industrial harmony cannot be guaranteed if the widely rejected circular is not withdrawn and other demands are not met within the 21-day ultimatum issued by the national body.
FCT NMA Rejects New Salary Structure is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
