Lagos Doctors Threaten Strike Over Salary Deductions and Unpaid Wages

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, has warned that it may embark on a solidarity strike in support of the Medical Guild, following unresolved disputes over salary deductions and unpaid wages.

According to the NMA, the Lagos State Government implemented controversial salary deductions in July 2025, leaving many doctors without full pay. The association is demanding the immediate refund of the deducted wages and the complete payment of August salaries no later than August 25, 2025.

This resolution was passed during an Emergency General Meeting (EGM), where members critically reviewed the Medical Guild’s 21-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government.

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Long-Standing Issues Resurface

Beyond the immediate crisis, doctors highlighted unresolved welfare concerns that have persisted for years. These include:

• Non-provision of call duty meals for doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
• Unsettled skipping arrears, which have already been cleared in other federal health institutions but remain pending at LUTH.

The association emphasized that doctors are entitled to their rightful wages, regardless of when arrears were accumulated.

In a communiqué signed by Dr. Saheed Kehinde, Chairman of NMA Lagos, the body warned that it would commence its strike two weeks after the Medical Guild begins its own industrial action, should the government fail to resolve the crisis.

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Salary Deduction Timeline

The controversy surrounding salary cuts has been ongoing since April 23, 2025, when the Lagos State Government first introduced deductions. Following widespread protests, the policy was briefly reversed.

However, on July 23, 2025, the deductions resurfaced, prompting the Medical Guild to embark on a three-day warning strike between July 28 and 30, 2025. Despite the action, salaries were not refunded, pushing the Guild to issue a firm ultimatum that expires on August 25, 2025.

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Welfare Concerns at LUTH

Another key point of contention is the lack of call duty meals for doctors at LUTH, which has persisted for more than five years.

At a February 2025 meeting with Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chief Medical Director of LUTH, hospital management suggested introducing a paid canteen system instead of reinstating free call duty meals.

The NMA rejected this proposal outright, insisting that meals must be provided free of charge for doctors on duty, as is the standard in other federal institutions.

On skipping arrears, the NMA noted that while several teaching hospitals across Nigeria had already settled these payments, LUTH doctors remain excluded. The association declared it will continue to push until these entitlements are fulfilled.

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Call for Government Intervention

In its communiqué, the NMA called on the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, to collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies to:

1. Refund July 2025 salary deductions immediately.
2. Ensure full and timely payment of August salaries.
3. Permanently eliminate unjust deductions that have repeatedly triggered crises in the health sector.

The association described the deductions as “obnoxious and crisis-prone,” stressing that failure to act would worsen the already fragile health system in Lagos State.