After a very rowdy meeting which lasted from 2:30 p.m. on Saturday to 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has agreed to suspend the proposed strike over the new circular issued by the National Salary, Income and Wages Commission on reviewed allowances for Medical and Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service and to give the government another 21 days to address the issues in contention, The Guardian has learnt.

Meanwhile, the association has signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government on implementation of agreements reached on adjustment of salary packages and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria, among others.

The NMA had on July 2, 2025, rejected the new circular issued by the National Salary, Income and Wages Commission on reviewed allowances for Medical and Dental Officers in the Federal Public Service, describing it as a violation of previous collective bargaining agreements.

The association, while calling for immediate intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gave the government a 21-day ultimatum to come up with a new circular that reflects previous agreements reached between the two parties to avert disruption in the health services rendered to the Nigerian people.

President of the NMA, Prof. Bala Audu, noted that the Circular (SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646) dated 27th June, 2025, is grossly misleading and constitutes a flagrant violation of the spirit and letter of the agreements painstakingly reached during the collective bargaining process between the NMA and the Federal Government.

It was gathered that after the ultimatum was issued, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, invited the Association to a meeting to find out their grievances.

It was learnt that another meeting was held on this issue on July 22, 2025, at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, and had in attendance the Minister of Health, Director General of the Budget Office, representative of the Minister of Finance, and the Chairman of the National Salaries and Wages Commission, as well as the host minister, during which it was agreed that a sub-committee meeting should be convened.

Sources at the meeting disclosed to The Guardian that the government agreed to sign a new MOU with the NMA on Friday. However, only a few people from the government’s negotiating team were in attendance, causing the NMA delegates to leave in annoyance.

The sources stated that the NMA had fixed its NEC meeting for Saturday, adding that the government later invited the association for the signing of the MOU on Saturday.

Though the agreement has been signed, there were palpable fears by the delegates from the NMA that the MOU might not carry weight, considering that the signing was not done by any of the Ministers (Labour, Health, or Finance) or the Permanent Secretaries in the respective ministries, but by Directors who cannot be held responsible.

“No Minister, Permanent Secretary, including the Chairman of the Salaries and Wages Commission signed the MOU. The MOU was signed by Directors who cannot be held responsible. They categorically stated that the MOU was signed by people that were not supposed to sign it.”

It was learnt that this fear was expressed by virtually all the delegates during the NMA NEC meeting on Saturday, who were initially of the opinion that the association should proceed with the strike and that the NMA capitation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) should be used to mobilise for the strike action.

The sources disclosed that the NMA President, however, told the delegates that since he had just signed an MOU, it would be wrong for him to shut down the health sector and pleaded that the association give the government another chance to meet the association’s demands.

“He said, ‘I just signed an MOU today and you are telling me that we should go on strike the same day? I will not do that. It is better for me to step aside so that the 1st Vice President can take over.’”

This, according to the sources, led to a rowdy session which made the NMA President offer to step aside so that the 1st Vice President could take over.

“He stepped aside and left the meeting hall, prompting all the elders, including past presidents, past secretary generals, and others, to go and talk to him. When the meeting reconvened, they put the issue of whether the strike should hold or not to a vote, and those against the strike outnumbered those in favour. They agreed not to go on with the strike but rather to give the government another 21-day ultimatum,” the sources added. (The Guardian)