The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is the largest professional organization of physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

s in Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

 and in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. The NMA has more than 35,000 members from 36 state branches and the branch from the federal capital territory, including those registered in the diaspora. NMA's membership spans all five major specialties of Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Public Health. The NMA was established in 1951 and is located in Abuja

Abuja

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...

 with over 30 branch offices throughout Nigeria.

Affiliates

• Nigerian Dental Association (NDA)
• Nigerian Medical Women Association
• National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD)
• Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)

Affiliations

• Confederation of African Medical Associations and Societies (CAMAS)
• Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA)
• African Medical Association (AFMA)
• World Medical Association
  World Medical Association
  The World Medical Association is an international and independent confederation of free professional Medical Associations, therefore representing physicians worldwide...
  
   (WMA)

Distribution of members

The 2006 national census showed a population of about 140 million. It has been estimated that about 70% of doctors practice in urban areas where only 30% of the population lives. This creates an unbalanced doctor-to-population distribution which is one of the challenges of the Nigerian health system that the association and the Federal Government are trying to address.

Branches

NMA has branches in all States of Nigeria, there are a total of 36 states in Nigeria and then Abuja, the federal capital territory.
States (Plus FCT):

1.FCT, Abuja
2.Anambra
3.Enugu
4.Akwa Ibom
5.Adamawa
6.Abia
7.Bauchi
8.Bayelsa
9.Benue
10.Borno
11.Cross River
12.Delta
13.Ebonyi
14.Edo
15.Ekiti
16.Gombe
17.Imo
18.Jigawa
19.Kaduna
20.Kano
21.Katsina
22.Kebbi
23.Kogi
24.Kwara
25.Lagos
26.Nasarawa
27.Niger
28.Ogun
29.Ondo
30.Osun
31.Oyo
32.Plateau
33.Rivers
34.Sokoto
35.Taraba
36.Yobe
37.Zamfara

Constitution

The constitution of NMA is supreme and its provisions have binding force on all authorities, organs, branches and members of the Association and, where applicable, on any other persons. Medical and dental practitioners registered under the Medical and Dental Practitioners' Act CAP 221 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria(1990) have a right of membership upon payment of the annual fee.

Governance

The National Executive Council (NEC) is the governing body of the NMA and it has full powers to act on its behalf in the period between the Annual Delegates' Meetings and make policy decisions.

NEC 2008-2010

• • Dr. Omede Idris -President
  • Dr. Bala Mohammed Audu -1st VP
  • Dr. Alan Tawo -2nd VP
  • Dr. Kenneth Okoro -Secretary General
  • Dr. Chris Enoch -Deputy Secretary General
  • Dr. Ibrahim Kana -Treasurer
  • Prof. Stanley Ayanwu -Editor, Nigerian Medical Journal (NMJ)

Statutory bodies

• Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) - Regulatory
• National PostGraduate Medical College of Nigeria

Advisor and catalyst

NMA's current Special Advisor and Catalyst in the development sector is Dr. Francis Ohanyido with the support of the United States Agency for International Development

United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...

(USAID), under the aegis of the USAID COMPASS Project.

External links

• Nigerian Medical Association
• USAID COMPASS Project