The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics, NAMDA, has extended its strike ultimatum to allow more time for negotiations with the Federal Government.
The association said the additional three weeks should be used to settle unresolved issues and reach an agreement that addresses the concerns of medical and dental lecturers.
NAMDA warned, however, that failure to achieve a satisfactory resolution by August 31, 2026, would trigger a three-day warning strike.
The decision was reached during an Emergency National Executive Council meeting and announced in a communique signed by NAMDA President, Dr Nosa Lancy Orhue, and Acting Secretary General, Prof Aniekan Peter.
The association said the extension was intended to create room for what it described as meaningful and comprehensive discussions with the government.
“Government now has three weeks to demonstrate a genuine commitment to resolving the outstanding issues,” NAMDA said in the communique.
According to the association, the August 31 deadline would be the final window for negotiations before its National Officers Committee considers the next course of action.
If no meaningful agreement is reached by then, NAMDA said a three-day warning strike would be declared, with the date to be announced by the National Officers Committee.
The association also directed its branches nationwide to intensify mobilisation during the extension period.
Each branch is expected to hold congress meetings and sensitisation programmes at least twice before the deadline and submit reports to the national secretariat.
Those reports, NAMDA said, must reflect members’ level of preparedness and mobilisation in the event of industrial action.
The medical academics also expressed disappointment over what they described as the Federal Government’s slow pace in concluding negotiations.
NAMDA, however, acknowledged the intervention of the Department of State Services, DSS, and other individuals it identified as friends of the association in efforts to move the discussions forward.
It also commended its members for remaining patient and cooperative, saying their restraint had helped preserve stability within Nigeria’s university system.
Beyond the immediate dispute, NAMDA raised concerns about the state of medical education and specialist training in the country.
The association argued that inadequate attention to medical education was particularly troubling at a time when Nigeria was already facing shortages of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
It also linked the situation to the growing “Japa” trend, which has seen Nigerian professionals leave the country for opportunities abroad.
NAMDA maintained that medical and dental lecturers must receive the full implementation of benefits already approved by the government.
Members were subsequently directed to comply with all decisions reached at the emergency meeting as the association awaits further developments in its negotiations with the Federal Government.
For now, the August 31 deadline has become the key date in the dispute, with the possibility of a three-day warning strike hanging over Nigeria’s medical training institutions if talks fail to produce an agreement.