Lagos doctors threaten strike over withheld salaries

The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike, citing the state government’s failure to pay doctors’ withheld salaries.

The Lagos NMA threatened to embark on a strike alongside the Medical Guild if the state government fails to pay doctors’ salaries by August 25, 2025.

The warning followed an emergency general meeting of the association held over the weekend, where members resolved to support the Medical Guild’s 21-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government.

The guild is demanding the reversal of unauthorised deductions from July salaries and full payment of August wages.

The Lagos NMA, in a communique, decried what it described as a persistent disregard for doctors’ welfare, particularly at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

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It stated: “If by August 25 the government does not refund the July deductions and pay August salaries in full, the Medical Guild will begin an indefinite strike, and the NMA Lagos will not stand aside.

“We will join in the solidarity strike two weeks after the Medical Guild’s action begins if the government remains unresponsive.

“The persistent tampering with doctors’ earnings without explanation or justification is unacceptable and an affront to the medical profession.”

The NMA further urged the Lagos State government to act decisively to prevent a collapse of healthcare delivery across the state.

It also called on the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, to urgently intervene, noting: “The commissioner must act with urgency. This situation demands not just a bureaucratic response, but political will to protect the integrity of the health workforce in Lagos.”

The Star