Doctors in Lagos threaten indefinite strike over salary deductions
By John Okezie
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, has threatened a solidarity strike in support of the Medical Guild if the Lagos State Government fails to address the ongoing salary crisis affecting doctors.
In a communiqué issued after its Emergency General Meeting (EGM) held virtually on Friday, August 15, 2025, the association said it would fully support the Medical Guild in embarking on an indefinite strike should the state government refuse to refund deductions made from doctors’ July salaries and ensure full payment of August salaries by August 25.
The communiqué, jointly signed by NMA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed and Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Hassan, stated that the state chapter would join in a solidarity strike two weeks after the Guild’s action if the government remains unyielding.
The crisis began on April 23, 2025, when the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury Office, allegedly made unauthorized deductions from doctors’ salaries. Following protests, the deductions were refunded a week later, but the same deductions reappeared in July.
The Medical Guild staged a three-day warning strike from July 28 to 30, yet the July deductions have not been refunded. On July 30, the Guild issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding restitution.
It further disclosed that beyond the salary dispute, the EGM also addressed lingering concerns at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). Members condemned the hospital management’s failure to provide free call duty meals for doctors despite repeated complaints over the last five years.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. AbdulWasiu Adeyemo, had proposed a subsidized canteen system during a February meeting with LUTH Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) leaders, but the NMA Lagos leadership insisted that call meals must be provided at no cost. The matter is expected to be revisited at the association’s next General Congress in three weeks.
The association said it also received fresh complaints regarding the non-payment of skipping arrears owed to doctors in LUTH, despite payments being made in other federal institutions.
While the hospital management directed that a list of affected doctors be submitted for processing, the NMA warned that it would not relent until all arrears are paid, stressing that workers deserve their wages regardless of when the debts were incurred.
The communiqué concluded with an appeal to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, urging him to engage the relevant government agencies “intensively and passionately” to secure the refund of the July deductions, guarantee full payment of August salaries, and prevent further disputes that could disrupt healthcare delivery in the state.
