Kwara NMA Rejects Reviewed Medical Allowances

Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Kwara State, yesterday, rejected the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission’s (NSIWC) review of allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.

The state chairman of NMA,  Prof. AbdulRahman Afolabi made this known at a news conference in Ilorin, the state capital.

“The NMA Kwara State branch strongly condemns and rejects the NSIWC circular dated June 27, 2025, regarding the review of allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.

“We also fully support the 21-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to address all welfare issues affecting doctors in Nigeria,” Afolabi said.

He expressed concern over the implications of the circular, which he said, “attempts to adjust CONMESS but inadvertently or perhaps deliberately erodes relativity”.

He added that the development has also worsened workforce inequity and threatened the already fragile medical workforce landscape in the country.

Afolabi expressed the disappointment of the NMA at the NSIWC’s decision to disregard the collective bargaining agreement reached with the NMA in 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.

Afolabi noted that the development could spark industrial disharmony at a time when stability is desperately needed.

He, therefore reiterated the support of the local branch for the national body of NMA,  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.