The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA has called for better remuneration, immediate implementation of non-taxable call duty allowances, adjustments to professional allowances in line with inflation, improved welfare packages, and the provision of affordable housing loans or mortgages to check the incidences of greener pasture, now known as ” Japa”.
Chairman of the association Dr. Babajide Saheed warned that “Any policy of the government which doesn’t first resolve the issue of ‘Japa’ syndrome is a waste of time,” stressing that human resources are the backbone of healthcare delivery.
To achieve this, Saheed suggested that there should be access to affordable car loans, the provision of enhanced work environment, investment in training and retraining programmes, the availability of research grants, the supply of modern equipment and materials, the development of robust healthcare infrastructure, the formulation of inclusive, respectful, and effective health policies, and the payment of skipping arrears and the implementation of reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (COMMESS) among other demands.
The association reiterated its demand for the immediate payment of skipping arrears, a long-overdue benefit promised by the Federal Government since 2024.t
It also pressed gor the payment of reviewed COMMESS arrears, noting that these were key commitments yet to be fulfilled.
The NMA has therefore called on the Federal Government to convert medical lecturers and university medical staff to the CONMESS salary structure to ensure parity across institutions.
In addition, the chairman of the NMA in Lagos State urged the Lagos State Government to end locum (casual) appointments, decrying the casualisation of doctors as exploitative and demoralising.
Furthermore, the NMA also rejected the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre policy in clinical settings
Dr. Saheed warned that the presence of the consultant pharmacist cadre from clinical settings “will cause chaos, confusion, and anarchy” in patient care, arguing that it offers no added value to clinical management.
Similarly, Dr. Saheed acknowledged and appreciated the Lagos State Government’s swift resolution of one pressing matter: the refund of unjust salary deductions from healthcare workers’ April 2025 pay. The refund reportedly began just minutes before the NMA’s address, following direct intervention by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and the Accountant General.
The NMA Lagos chapter concluded with a strong message: “Unless the welfare of doctors and healthcare workers is prioritised, particularly through sustainable reforms and fair compensation, Nigeria’s health sector will continue to lose its workforce to foreign countries — a trend the nation can no longer afford”..
