The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has urged the Federal Government to urgently address the shortage of academic staff in medical institutions nationwide.
Dr Nosa Orhue, President of the association, appealed in a communiqué issued in Abuja, following the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 5.
Orhue urged the government to immediately pay the withheld salaries of NAMDA members, stemming from the 2022 strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), stressing that NAMDA is a separate body and not affiliated with ASUU.
The association also urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to separate the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree programmes in Anatomy, Physiology, and Medical Biochemistry from the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences.
According to the association, this would help reduce the excessive workload on lecturers and improve the quality of medical education.
NAMDA called on the government to review the 2009 academic staff agreement for medical lecturers and to revise the disbursement modalities for earned academic allowances and arrears.
The NEC also rejected the discriminatory circular on hazard allowance for medical academics.
Orhue expressed concern over the non-implementation of special pension benefits for hospital-based academics (Medical Consultants), in line with Circular 1 of 1991 and Section 7(e) of the Pension Reform Act (2014), as amended.
He also decried the failure to implement full pension benefits for medical professors as provided for in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2012 and the Pension Reform Act 2014.
The association accused the federal government of allegedly failing to pay seven months of arrears, including the 25/35 per cent salary increment, clinical duty allowance, and accoutrement allowance for medical academics in universities, other tertiary institutions, and research institutes.
Orhue demanded the immediate withdrawal of Circular No. SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646, dated June 27, 2025, titled “Review of Allowances for Medical/Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service,” issued by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
He said the circular should be replaced with one that aligns with the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) of 2001, 2009, and 2014.
He also called for the correction of discrepancies between the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), as per previous agreements between the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Federal Government.
He noted that NAMDA members, who are also members of the NMA, are remunerated under the CONMESS structure.
He stated that the NEC had endorsed the NMA’s demands for the immediate review of the long-overdue Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the immediate release of the circular on clinical duty and other allowances, as agreed upon with the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) in January 2024.
He added that the NEC also supported the implementation of the scarce skills allowance for medical consultants.
The association also demanded the payment of specialist allowance to all medical and dental practitioners, as well as the immediate implementation of the new minimum wage for house officers, as contained in the 2024 CONMESS circular.
Orhue further called for the universal application of CONMESS for all doctors employed at all levels of government to curb internal brain drain.
He appealed for the maintenance of relativity in professional allowances as outlined in the 2001 CBA, particularly call duty allowance.
He also called for the immediate reversal of MDCAN’s reclassification of membership qualification to Category B in the specialist cadre. He demanded the prompt payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for 2025.
Additionally, the association demanded the issuance of a circular stipulating 65 years as the retirement age for all healthcare professionals and 70 years for medical consultants.
Orhue urged the federal government to recall and regularise all medical doctors dismissed from the National Hospital, Abuja, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and other institutions nationwide, in line with a resolution of the National Assembly.
He commended the 21-day ultimatum issued by the NMA to the federal government, urging it to meet its demands. He announced that NAMDA was also issuing a 15-day notice for the government to address its concerns.
This, he added, was to avert an industrial crisis in the health and education sectors.
