Lagos’ medical community is sounding the alarm after the Federal Government unveiled a new salary structure for doctors that many believe threatens to unravel essential standards in healthcare. At a press conference, Dr. Babajide Saheed, Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, described the proposed pay framework as “deeply flawed, unjust, and unprofessional,” warning that it could accelerate brain drain and compromise patient care.
According to the doctors, the proposal ignores long-standing principles of salary relativity pay differences tied to clinical responsibility, risk exposure, and specialist training. The plan, as laid out, would see specialist and honorarium allowances extended beyond certified clinical doctors, muddling the distinction between roles and watering down the clinical hierarchy that underpins accountability in hospitals.
The NMA insists that this is not just about fairness but about survival. With hospitals already stretched thin, staffing shortages, poor funding, and disappointing working conditions, they argue that any weakening of the professional structure will further erode morale among those still committed to serving in difficult conditions. “Doctors are already leaving in droves,” Dr. Saheed said, “Behind every emigrating doctor is a clinic on the brink and a patient left behind.”
Lagos doctors have joined national bodies in demanding that the proposed salary plan be reviewed and renegotiated in good faith. They have set a 21-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to address their concerns including restoring the pre-April 2025 salary scale where distortions have taken place, ensuring that specialist and clinical responsibilities are properly rewarded, and averting further decline in healthcare services.
Whether this crisis will provoke meaningful reform or deepen the exodus of medical professionals remains to be seen. For many patients, too, the stakes are high the outcome could decide not just doctors’ livelihoods but the fate of healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
Shopeju Olateju
NaijaTravels News
