Medical Lecturers Reject Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s CONMESS Plan, Accuse Management of Deceit

Staff members at LAUTECH’s College of Health Sciences, operating under the umbrella of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), have formally rejected a new salary implementation timetable proposed by the institution’s management. The association claims the settlement is “deceptive, non-binding and an insult to our professional dignity.”

The conflict centres on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS)—a pay scale adopted for medical academics that many in the region say LAUTECH has yet to implement. According to the dispute, management offered to commence implementation in November 2025, with full coverage by July 2026, but the academic staff say this timeline fails to meet earlier commitments and lacks proper approvals.

NAMDA at LAUTECH point out that in January 2025 the Vice-Chancellor pledged immediate action on CONMESS, prompting the association to suspend an earlier strike. However, they say eleven months later no council approval, payroll adjustment or arrears payment has occurred. The university’s “letter of commitment” is regarded by the union as legally hollow.

The university’s statement maintained that the plan was devised with financial sustainability in mind and requested calm from stakeholders, particularly students who had begun protesting. But the union countered this narrative—asserting that students’ protests were a direct outcome of staff unrest and not simply union pressure, as the administration claimed.

NAMDA emphasised that other universities and states in the region already implemented CONMESS and backdated arrears from January 2025, whereas LAUTECH still pays staff on the older salary scale. The association characterised this refusal as illegal discrimination under constitutional equality and non-discrimination clauses.

With lectures, ward rounds and other academic duties suspended, student clinical training has been disrupted. The union warns that unless there is urgent intervention by the university’s Governing Council or the state government, medical education at the institution may suffer irreversible damage.

Beyond the salary issue, underlying tensions include trust deficits between staff and management, alleged misdirection in public communications, and absence of clear timelines or mechanisms for monitoring progress. The union expressed loss of confidence in the administration’s capacity to uphold its word.

Going forward, the dispute could have broader implications: delayed training leads to backlog for students, possible accreditation risk for the medical school, and reputational damage to the institution and region. All eyes remain on whether real action will accompany the commitments.