Beginning at 8 a.m. today (Monday, July 28), medical professionals working for the Lagos State Government have announced a three-day warning strike in protest of what they say are unfair salary reductions.
According to reports, the Medical Guild of Lagos State announced the development at a press conference at their secretariat. Dr. Japhet Olugbogi, the group’s chairman, denounced what he called a “unilateral deduction” from doctors’ pay.
According to Olugbogi, the conflict started in April 2025 when the Lagos State Government allegedly withheld money from the salaries of all dentists and doctors without consulting them or giving them advance warning.
He said that following “spirited intervention and strategic engagement” with the government, the measure was originally rescinded after causing significant outcry.
A six-member conciliation committee with equal representation from the Guild and the government was established as a result of this interaction.
“It was agreed that the status quo would be maintained while the government deliberated internally after we presented all pertinent documents that clarified the calculation of the CONMESS salary scale,” Olugbogi stated.
In the event that their demands are not fulfilled, the doctors stated that the walkout will continue until Thursday, July 31.
However, the Lagos State Treasury Office began deductions in July, despite the agreements reached, which the Guild chairman bemoaned as a “breach of trust.”
Many members had at first called for an urgent strike, he said, but the Guild decided to pursue lobbying and diplomacy instead.
We are obligated to follow this course due to the July deduction. “This is a betrayal, not just a breach of agreement,” Olugbogi declared.
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The complete payment of the 12-month revised CONMESS arrears owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is one of the demands made by the doctors, according to reports.
In addition, the Guild threatened to launch a full-scale indefinite strike if the state government did not comply with its demands within 21 days.
“Let it be known that the most senior doctor in Lagos State employment does not earn up to $1,100,” Olugbogi disclosed, highlighting the financial difficulties that physicians face.
“However, the government, in its wisdom, believes that the best way to inspire the health workforce is to reduce this meager income.”
He urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to step in immediately and make sure that the “illegally deducted funds” be reversed.
