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The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has firmly rejected the Federal Government’s newly proposed salary structure for medical doctors, warning that it poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.
At a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, the State Chairman of the NMA, Dr. Babajide Saheed, described the proposal as fundamentally flawed and professionally damaging.
According to him, the new structure disregards long-established salary relativity principles that differentiate pay scales based on clinical risk, responsibility, and years of training.
“This isn’t about superiority or ego,” Saheed said. “As Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti once stated, the hierarchy in healthcare is about responsibility. Blurring that line undermines accountability and disrupts hospital leadership structures.”
He warned that eliminating salary relativity would lead to confusion in clinical leadership and erode professional discipline within hospitals. Dr. Saheed also criticized the proposal for offering specialist and honorarium allowances to non-doctors—benefits he said were originally created for certified clinicians who complete rigorous postgraduate training.
“These allowances are meant for clinicians recognized by accredited medical colleges,” he noted. “Extending them to others dilutes their value and disrespects specialist certification.”
Citing World Health Organization standards, Saheed emphasized that specialist pay must reflect clinical expertise, risk exposure, and leadership roles—criteria the new plan fails to acknowledge.
The NMA also expressed concern over efforts to equate certified medical consultants with holders of academic doctorate degrees in allied fields like pharmacy and optometry.
“We respect our colleagues across all disciplines, but patient care and academic research are not the same,” he said. “No developed country equates a Doctor of Pharmacy with a practicing consultant physician—not in the UK, Canada, or Australia.”
Dr. Saheed voiced strong support for the national NMA’s 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, describing it as a necessary measure to protect the future of healthcare in Nigeria. He urged the Lagos State Government not to implement the Federal proposal until a fair and professionally endorsed agreement is reached.
“Lagos is known for setting standards in healthcare. Adopting a flawed structure could tarnish that reputation,” he warned.
The NMA also raised alarms over the worsening brain drain in the medical sector, citing a dire doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:5,000—far from the WHO’s recommended 1:600.
“Doctors are leaving in large numbers. This structure will only accelerate the exodus,” he cautioned. “Every doctor who leaves is one less clinic, one more neglected patient.”
Saheed concluded by calling for meaningful engagement with the NMA to develop a just, evidence-based salary system that reflects clinical realities and global best practices.