By Charles Pemu 
Medical doctors in Ekiti and Ondo states are vociferously opposing a new Federal Government directive concerning the review of health workers’ allowances, branding the policy “obnoxious” and a clear violation of existing agreements. This opposition intensifies a national dispute, with chapters of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in both states pledging resistance and warning of a nationwide strike if the circular is not withdrawn within a 21-day ultimatum issued by the national body.
NMA leaders assert that the circular, issued by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission on June 27, 2025, fundamentally undermines long-standing agreements on salary relativity between doctors and other health professionals. They criticize its timing, given the severe brain drain, poor working conditions, and escalating workload plaguing Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
Speaking yesterday, Dr. Ifedayo Oreyemi, Chairman of the Ekiti State NMA, urged the government to halt the circular “forthwith.” He described the directive as a “flagrant contravention” of previous Collective Bargaining Agreements, accusing the government of “insensitivity and hypocrisy” in upholding its commitments. Oreyemi called on Nigerian leaders to prioritize local healthcare investment, matching funds often spent on foreign medical trips, given the quality of local doctors. The Ekiti NMA demands the immediate withdrawal of the circular and a correction of consequential adjustments in line with earlier agreements from 2001, 2009, and 2014.
Similarly, the Ondo State NMA chapter condemned the circular as “ill-conceived and ill-timed,” particularly in light of the worsening shortage of health personnel due to the “Japa syndrome” (emigration). In a communique following an emergency meeting in Akure, signed by Dr. Alonge Olumuyiwa (Chairman) and Dr. Olaopa Gideon (Secretary), the association reiterated its rejection of the circular and further demanded a 300 per cent pay increase for all medical and dental practitioners.
The communique highlighted the “perennial shortage of human resources for health” and the “attendant work overload experienced by doctors” who remain. Ondo NMA urged senior doctors to join the protest and advised members to be on standby for further instructions regarding potential strike action, underscoring the mounting pressure on the nation’s already challenged healthcare system.