The healthcare system in Plateau State is on the verge of a total collapse as medical doctors across the state have issued a final 7-day ultimatum to the Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led administration.

The joint action comes from the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD). In separate letters dated April 20, 2026, the unions warned that they will be “compelled to withdraw their services” by Monday, April 27, 2026, if their demands for salary adjustments are not met.

At the heart of the crisis is the non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). While the National Salaries and Wages Commission released a corrected structure and revised allowances for 2025-2026, the Plateau State Government has allegedly failed to reflect these changes in the doctors’ paychecks.

The NAGGMDP Chairman, Dr. Luka Waden, expressed deep frustration in a letter to the Governor, noting that despite “constructive dialogue,” there has been no concrete action from the state.

The associations are demanding: 100% implementation of the corrected CONMESS salary structure, full payment of all revised allowances entitled to members and immediate implementation of CONMESS 7 to ensure equity across the medical workforce.

The ARD President at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Elizabeth Kassem Azi, revealed that the current tension comes from a broken commitment. According to Dr. Azi, Governor Mutfwang had personally promised to bridge the remuneration gap during a meeting with the national medical body in January 2026.

Despite this high-level assurance, the doctors say they have seen no progress in over four months.
“This inaction has led to the exit of doctors from the state and the shrinking of an initially strained workforce,” Dr. Azi stated, highlighting a growing “brain drain” as medics leave Plateau for better-paying states or federal institutions.

As at the time of filling this report, the association says the clock is running out for the Plateau State Ministry of Health. The ultimatum expires at midnight on Sunday, April 26, and if the government fails to provide a “concrete timeline” for payment before Monday morning, all state-owned hospitals, including the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, will see a total withdrawal of medical services.

For residents of Plateau State, this means a looming period of uncertainty for emergency care and routine medical services unless the government acts swiftly to avert the strike.

Nigeria is moving to strengthen its national cyber defence architecture as the Federal Government prepares to convene a high-level stakeholder session today to establish a Ministerial Advisory Council for Cybersecurity Coordination.

Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has announced that the inaugural engagement, scheduled for April 22, 2026, will bring together key public and private sector stakeholders to deepen collaboration and improve coordinated responses to cyber threats across the country’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

“On Wednesday, 22 April 2026, I will convene the inaugural stakeholder session toward the establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Council for Cybersecurity Coordination for Nigeria’s digital economy,” the Minister says, signalling what officials describe as a critical step in aligning Nigeria’s fragmented cybersecurity efforts.

The planned council is emerging at a time when Nigeria’s digital economy is scaling rapidly, increasing both the attack surface and the complexity of threats targeting financial systems, telecoms networks, and digital platforms.

“As our digital ecosystem continues to expand, strengthening collaboration, preparedness, and coordinated response across sectors has become increasingly important to safeguarding trust, resilience, and national prosperity,” Tijani says.

The Minister says the initiative is a foundational layer in the government’s broader cybersecurity strategy, positioning the advisory council as a mechanism to bridge institutional gaps and improve real-time coordination among stakeholders.

“This engagement marks an important next step in our commitment to building a more secure and trusted digital Nigeria,” he adds.

The Ministry indicate that the proposed advisory council will function as a non-statutory, multi-stakeholder platform, bringing together government agencies, private sector operators, cybersecurity professionals, and civil society actors to strengthen Nigeria’s cyber resilience through shared intelligence and collective defence models.

The move follows earlier indications in April from the Ministry pointing to plans for a broader Cybersecurity Coordination Council, designed to enhance information sharing frameworks, streamline incident response protocols, and reduce fragmentation across regulatory and operational institutions.

Nigeria’s current cybersecurity landscape is supported by multiple institutions, including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), each playing distinct roles across policy development, enforcement, and data governance.

However, recent cyber incidents affecting financial institutions and digital service providers have exposed coordination gaps, particularly in areas of threat intelligence sharing, incident response synchronisation, and cross-sector communication.

These gaps have become more pronounced as cyber threats grow in sophistication, targeting critical infrastructure, digital payment systems, and consumer data platforms.

Estimates from industry reports suggest that Nigeria loses over $500 million annually to cybercrime, underscoring the economic and national security implications of weak coordination frameworks.

Against this backdrop, the proposed advisory council is expected to serve as a unifying platform to harmonise efforts across agencies and sectors, enabling faster detection, response, and recovery from cyber incidents.

The initiative also aligns with global best practices, where governments are increasingly adopting multi-stakeholder coordination models to address the borderless and rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats.

For Nigeria, today’s stakeholder session is expected to define the structure, scope, and operational priorities of the advisory council, including mechanisms for intelligence sharing, stakeholder engagement, and policy alignment.

If effectively implemented, the council could mark a significant shift from siloed cybersecurity efforts to a more integrated, whole-of-ecosystem approach, one that strengthens trust in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure while supporting the continued growth of its digital economy.