The Lagos State Government has stated that there was no deliberate reduction or deduction in the salaries of medical and dental doctors, as recently claimed by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association.
In August, the NMA condemned what it described as “unjust and illegal” deductions from doctors’ salaries by the state government.
According to the association, the issue began on April 23, 2025, when the state government made a similar deduction.
“That action triggered an uproar, forcing the authorities to reverse the move after intense pressure and protest. However, barely three months later, on July 23, the government allegedly repeated the deduction, prompting the Medical Guild to embark on a three-day warning strike from July 28 to 30. Despite the industrial action, the affected salaries have not been refunded as of the time of filing this report,” the NMA said in a communique issued by the Lagos Chairman, Dr. Saheed Kehinde, and Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Hassan, after a meeting.
However, the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, explained in a statement obtained on Wednesday that the brief discrepancies in payments were due to administrative adjustments aimed at aligning salaries with the actual entitlements of medical and dental doctors under a more transparent and accurate remuneration structure.
“At no point did the state government deliberately reduce or deduct salaries. What was observed was part of an internal process to ensure that doctors receive exactly what is due to them, based on agreed terms. All affected doctors have now been fully refunded,” the commissioner said.
He said that moving forward, the salaries medical and dental doctors receive would reflect the final agreement between the Lagos State Government and the Medical Guild.
This, he emphasised, brings clarity and stability to the payment structure and ensures that doctors continue to enjoy competitive compensation.
Ayantayo also reaffirmed that medical and dental doctors in Lagos remain the highest paid in Nigeria’s public healthcare system and the government has gone beyond the Guilds demands in certain areas, including timely and consistent payment of salaries; continued investment in health sector infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives.
The government reiterated its commitment to the welfare of all public servants, particularly healthcare professionals who serve on the frontlines.
