By Our Health Correspondent, Abuja
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has launched its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and revived its Annual Lecture Series, with top government officials, medical leaders, and health sector stakeholders calling for strong implementation, policy continuity, and far-reaching reforms to reposition the association as a catalyst for national health transformation.
The event, held at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel, attracted senior government officials, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and leaders of the association.
Dr. Isiak Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Chairman of the occasion, congratulated the NMA on institutionalizing the lecture series and rolling out a long-term strategic roadmap. He described effective planning as the backbone of sustainable development, citing the adage, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”
Salako commended the current NMA leadership for its foresight, professionalism, and commitment to continuity, urging future leaders to uphold these values. He reaffirmed that health remains central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, quoting the President’s position that “the health of all Nigerians is a matter of urgent right.”
The Minister also highlighted the Federal Government’s focus on strengthening primary healthcare and improving national health security to ensure swift responses to infectious disease outbreaks. He praised Nigerian health professionals who have remained in the country despite the growing wave of medical migration, noting their commitment as crucial to the survival of the health system.
Former NMA President and ex-Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Prof. I.A.O. Ujah, identified policy discontinuity as a key obstacle to health sector progress in Nigeria. He recalled that although the NMA was established in 1952, it had no annual lecture series until his tenure. Ujah expressed optimism that the revived series would now become a permanent feature of the association.
In his keynote address, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, SGF, described the NMA as more than a professional body, calling it a national institution with the credibility and moral authority to influence health sector transformation.
While commending the NMA leadership for producing an “apt and timely” strategic plan, Kana warned that “plans do not save lives; implementation does.” He highlighted poor remuneration, weak financing, and workforce burnout as drivers of medical migration, noting Nigeria’s disproportionately high maternal mortality rate.
Kana outlined priority pillars for reform, including:
Workforce empowerment and welfare advocacy
Evidence-based policy engagement
Strategic partnerships
Strengthened primary healthcare
Sustainable financing via expanded health insurance coverage
He urged the NMA to transition from episodic advocacy to governance-focused leadership backed by internal reforms and stronger collaboration with government at all levels.
On the sidelines, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital and Secretary of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, praised the NMA as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s growth. He described the revival of the Annual Lecture Series and the launch of the five-year strategic plan as highly commendable, noting that sustained intellectual engagement and strategic planning are essential for meaningful health sector reforms.
Dr. Bupwatda lauded Prof. Bala Muhammad Audu, current NMA President, for reviving the lecture series and emphasized that the platform offers members an intellectual forum to generate solutions to pressing challenges in the medical sector and broader national development.
