By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kwara Chapter has rejected the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission’s (NSIWC) review of allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public services.
The Chairman of NMA-Kwara, Prof. AbdulRahman Afolabi stated this on Monday while speaking at a news conference organised in Ilorin.
“The NMA Kwara State branch strongly condemns and reject the NSIWC circular dated June 27, 2025, regarding the review of allowances for medical and dental officers in federal public service.
“We also fully supports the 21-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to address all welfare issues affecting doctors in Nigeria,” he said.
He expressed grave concern over the implications of the circular, which he said, “attempts to adjust CONMESS but inadvertently or perhaps deliberately erodes relativity”.
According to him, it also worsens workforce inequity, and threatens the already fragile medical workforce landscape in Nigeria.
Afolabi pointed out that the association is shocked and disappointment at the NSIWC’s decision to disregard the collective bargaining agreement reached with the NMA (2001, 2009 and 2014) .
He warned that the circular issued has the potential to undermine morale and productivity in an already overstretched health system.
He observed that it can also accelerate brain drain, particularly among doctors and dentists and worsen the doctor-to-patient ratio, which is currently 1:5,000, far below World Health Organisation’s recommended
1:600.
Similarly, Afolabi noted that this can further spark industrial disharmony at a time when stability is desperately needed.
The Kwara-NMA chairman therefore reiterated the support for the National body of the association in its rejection of the current Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) implementation.
“We demand immediate suspension of the circular pending a stakeholder roundtable and call for restoration of relativity in line with agreements reached in previous reforms,” he said.
He also urged the government to declare a national health manpower emergency to address migration and workforce attrition and propose an independent Salary and Welfare Commission for healthcare professionals insulated from political manipulation.
Afolabi appealed to the federal government to address all welfare issues affecting doctors in Nigeria including immediate payment of Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for 2025, and review of MRTF to reflect prevailing economic realities.
He also called for approval of Specialist allowances for all doctors and approval of excess workload allowancea for all doctors, among others. (
