…Demands Restoration of Lagos Doctors’ Salaries

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, has called for a single five-year tenure for Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) of tertiary hospitals.

Also, the NMA has rejected the deduction and reduction of salaries of Lagos State-employed doctors, calling on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to restore their pay to the pre-April 2025 structure.

Speaking at a press conference held at the association’s secretariat in Surulere on Monday as part of activities marking the 2025 Annual General Meeting/Annual General Conference (AGM/AGC), Chairman of NMA Lagos, Dr. Babajide Kehinde Saheed, proposed the single five-year term instead of renewable tenures for the CMDs and the MDs of tertiary health facilities, arguing that second-term leadership often breeds complacency, abuse of office, and loss of focus.

“A single tenure will enhance accountability, prevent tyranny, and align with global best practices,” Saheed explained.
According to Saheed, the cut in Lagos doctors’ salaries was unacceptable, stressing that the current workload and economic realities demanded better welfare, not less.

He said, “We therefore call on the Governor of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to ensure the salary of members in the employment of the state is restored to pre-April 2025 salary. Though we believe they deserve more based on high workload and the Lagos State factors, the pre-April 2025 salary should be the minimum to be paid from September 2025.”

While commending Governor Sanwo-Olu for efforts to cushion the impact of the current economic realities, the association insisted that doctors’ welfare must be given urgent priority, including the review of the minimum wage in Lagos State.

At the centre of the association’s demands is the restoration of salaries for Lagos State-employed doctors, following deductions implemented in July and August 2025. Saheed condemned the reductions, describing them as an “unjust distortion” of the state’s medical salary structure.

“We demand the immediate restoration of the previous salaries of Lagos State doctors. The pre-April 2025 salary should be the minimum paid from September 2025 onwards. Anything less will not be accepted,” he declared.

The AGM/AGC, themed “A Critical Appraisal of Nigeria’s Budgetary Allocations to Health: Negotiating for Better Medical Salary Scale and Relativity for Medical Doctors”, will feature a keynote address by Professor Edamisan Temiye, who underscored the need to strengthen doctor welfare as a cornerstone of sustainable healthcare delivery.

The NMA further raised alarm over what it described as the “illegal acting capacity” of Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba. According to the association, Owoeye has continued to act as Managing Director despite the expiration of his tenure, while still seeking reappointment.

“It is sacrilegious for Dr. Owoeye to continue in this dual role, effectively handing over to himself if reappointed. This flouts extant rules and threatens due process,” Saheed warned, calling on the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, to intervene and “end the reign of impunity.”-