UNICAL Prof Enang Declares Intention to Contest NMA National President, Calls for System Reset
By Judex OKORO
University of Calabar Professor of Internal Medicine, Dr. Ofem Enang, has declared his interest to contest for the presidency of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), stating that the worsening crisis in the medical profession can only be reversed through a deliberate reset of broken systems.
Addressing doctors across cadres, practice settings and locations, Enang said the challenges confronting Nigerian doctor which ranges from poor welfare and insecurity to mass emigration, eroded earnings and repeated breaches of agreements by government, are symptoms of systemic failure rather than individual shortcomings.
He said it was this conviction that informed his decision to contest and the unveiling of his reform blueprint, “Renaissance 2026 – The Rebirth of Excellence,” which he describes as a framework for rebuilding institutions, restoring confidence and repositioning the profession for the future, adding that the agenda is anchored on five pillars, with doctors’ welfare as the foundation.
He pledged to make welfare non-negotiable and to work closely with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to address salary arrears, promotion backlogs, unsafe work hours, allowance distortions and ensure full implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
On insecurity, the NMA presidential hopeful declared zero tolerance for attacks on doctors, insisting that a country that cannot protect its healthcare workers cannot adequately protect its citizens, promising to confront long-standing housing and retirement challenges by advocating national mortgage schemes for doctors at single-digit interest rates, predictable pension systems, post-retirement health insurance and dignified exit pathways for senior colleagues.
To strengthen healthcare delivery, Enang proposed economic empowerment measures for private practitioners, including tax reliefs, fair electricity tariffs and renewable energy incentives, alongside plans to champion the establishment of a Bank of Medicine to provide low-interest funding for hospital expansion, equipment acquisition and innovation.
He further announced plans for a Tertiary Healthcare Fund to sustainably finance teaching hospitals, residency training, research and infrastructure, while pushing reforms to safeguard the integrity of medical training and enhance global recognition of Nigerian qualifications.
Reacting to recent killings and kidnappings of doctors in Edo and Enugu states, Enang expressed solidarity with affected families and colleagues, describing the incidents as stark evidence of worsening national insecurity, reaffirming support for resident doctors amid renewed industrial tensions, urging the Federal Government to honour all agreements reached with NARD to avert another healthcare shutdown.
On governance, Enang promised to heal divisions within the NMA, entrench transparent leadership, pursue credible electoral reforms and work towards a gradual transition to One Doctor, One Vote, while rebuilding the association’s moral authority and influence in national policymaking.
“This is not about ambition; it is about restoration,” he said, calling on doctors at home and in the diaspora to support what he described as a collective effort to reset systems, restore dignity and revive excellence in the Nigerian medical profession.
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