Title: Looming Nationwide Doctors' Strike: Nigeria’s Health Sector on Edge

As the 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) expires today, July 23, 2025, the country faces the real possibility of a nationwide doctors’ strike beginning tomorrow, Thursday, July 24. This impending industrial action threatens to disrupt healthcare services across Nigeria, leaving patients and hospitals in a critical situation.

At the heart of the conflict is a controversial circular released by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on June 27. The circular, which revises allowances under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), has been widely rejected by the NMA, who claim it undermines previously agreed salary structures and fails to reflect current economic realities. In response, the association issued a firm ultimatum on July 2, demanding the federal government withdraw the circular and address outstanding financial and welfare issues.

With the deadline now at hand, government officials have scrambled to prevent the looming strike. High-level meetings have been ongoing in Abuja involving the Ministries of Health, Labour, Finance, and the Head of Civil Service, alongside representatives from the NSIWC. In a move to ease tensions, the government has temporarily suspended the circular pending further dialogue.

NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, has acknowledged some progress, noting that a few of the association’s demands have been met. However, he emphasized that more needs to be done before the strike can be officially called off. Another critical meeting is scheduled for Thursday, offering a last-minute opportunity to resolve the crisis.

If the strike goes ahead, it could cripple public health services nationwide, particularly affecting patients in government hospitals who rely on affordable healthcare. Doctors in several regions, including the South-West, have already rejected the new allowance structure, signaling a unified stance across the country.

The next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial. All eyes are now on Abuja as both sides seek a resolution to avert a full-scale shutdown of Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system.