By Muhammad Amaan
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the recent circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which announced a reviewed structure of allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.
The group described the circular as not only chaotic and tone-deaf but also an affront to the professional dignity and sacrifice of doctors across the country.
The circular, dated June 27, 2025, and bearing reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646, has ignited backlash from leading medical associations, including the Nigerian Medical Association, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, and NARD, all of whom accused the commission of operating in bad faith and undermining existing collective bargaining agreements.
In a statement signed by NARD President, Dr Tope Osundara, and Secretary-General, Dr Oluwasola Odunbaku, the association condemned the circular as a clumsy intervention that fails to capture the harsh realities confronting Nigerian doctors and the healthcare system at large.
The statement, titled “Rejection of the National Salary Income and Wages Commission Circular on Review of Allowances for Medical/Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service,” described the move as both ill-conceived and disrespectful.
According to the association, the circular represents a gross misreading of the current state of the Nigerian healthcare sector and underscores the deep-rooted institutional disregard for the welfare of medical professionals.
The group lamented that the new allowance structure proposed by the NSIWC neither reflects prevailing economic conditions nor offers any incentive capable of retaining or motivating health workers amid a worsening brain drain.
“It bespeaks the level of insouciance that has repeatedly been shown towards Nigerian doctors, who sacrifice their time and effort in the midst of poor working conditions, shortage of manpower, and limited infrastructure,” the statement read in part.
The association reminded the Federal Government that it had consistently failed to implement the terms of the 2009 collective bargaining agreement, a pact reached over a decade ago with Nigerian doctors in a bid to forestall repeated strikes and stabilise the health sector.
Rather than honour those long-standing agreements, NARD said, the new circular marks a departure from dialogue and veers dangerously into unilateralism.
“The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission unilaterally decided to conjure a chaotic allowance structure without transparency and a proper framework that creates mutual respect and understanding,” the association said.
Beyond the procedural concerns, the association expressed reservations over the substance of the circular itself.
According to NARD, the revised allowance structure is not only unattractive but inadequate to stem the tide of mass emigration of doctors and other healthcare professionals to more supportive work environments abroad.
“The allowance structure as released by the NSIWC lacks attractive and adequate compensation that reflects the hard economic reality we presently face as Nigerian doctors,” NARD said.
The association added that the circular ignored the crucial push-and-pull factors responsible for the exodus of health workers, including excessive workload, burnout, mental fatigue, and unpaid overtime.
“It completely fails to come to grips with the push-and-pull factors of health workforce migration and the consequences of such migration on the Nigerian health system,” the group stated.
The resident doctors maintained that the current working conditions in the country were not only demoralising but perilous, as many doctors operate under extreme pressure with little or no institutional support.
They argued that the circular’s disregard for specialist allowance and other critical entitlements eroded trust and further alienated already-frustrated medical personnel.
“Nigeria is suffering from severe shortages of health workers, stemming from poor welfare packages, poor working conditions, excessive workload, burnout, mental fatigue, and lack of compensation for overtime. In the face of all these challenges, what the NSIWC has offered on behalf of the Federal Government is a disrespectful gesture to Nigerian doctors,” the statement added.
The association, however, called for the immediate establishment of a new negotiation team that would engage meaningfully with stakeholders and respect the principles of the existing collective bargaining agreement.
The association insisted that a revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, inclusive of all pertinent allowances such as the specialist allowance, should be urgently adopted.
“NARD therefore demands a revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and allowances as submitted to the Federal Ministry of Health, in keeping with the collective bargaining agreements earlier made with the Federal Government, including payment of specialist allowance to all doctors,” it said.
The association also declared its full support for the position of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which earlier in the week issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to withdraw the circular and address its demands to avert a major strike in the health sector.
Health Reporters Newspapers that the NMA had last week demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular and the correction of salary adjustments in line with agreements reached in 2001, 2009, 2014 and 2021.
