ARTICLE 4

MEMBERSHIP

Any medical or dental practitioner registered under the Medical and Dental Practitioners' Decree 23 of 1988 (Act CAP 221 Laws of the Federation) and as subsequently amended shall have a right of membership of the Association on payment of the annual practising fee in the said Decree 23 of 1988 (Act CAP 221 Laws of the Federation) as may be reviewed from time to time, unless otherwise prescribed herein in this Constitution.

1. THERE SHALL BE THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP:

(a) Ordinary Members

(i) These shall be registered medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria who pay their annual subscription and/or practising fees regularly as and at when due unless otherwise exempted by the National Executive Council provided no candidate for election or/and delegate shall qualify for such exemption.
(ii) It shall be the sole responsibility of the individual medical or dental practitioner to ensure the payment of his practising fee to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) as and at when due.

(b) Life Members There shall be TWO (2) types of Life Members:

(i) Ordinary members who shall have paid before January 1989 a Life Membership fee equal to TWENTY (20) years annual subscription in bulk, and
(ii) Ordinary members who are above the age of 80 years and have remained financial members of the Association continuously for a period of at least 20 years.

(c) Honorary Members

(i) They shall be men and women of distinction not ordinarily eligible to be members of the Association but who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the profession and/or the Association.
(ii) The election of the members in the foregoing paragraph shall be proposed by the NEC of the Association and ratified by the Annual Delegates' Meeting (ADM).
(iii) Honorary members shall not be entitled to vote or be voted for at meetings provided this shall not apply to the election of an honorary member to the fellowship of the Nigerian Medical Association.

(d) Associate Members

(i) Medical and dental practitioners visiting Nigeria being themselves members of similar associations in other countries with whom the Association has reciprocity shall be termed as Associate Members.
(ii) Such members shall not be entitled to vote or be voted for at meetings.

(e) Student Members

These shall be accredited medical and dental students in any Nigerian university undergoing their clinical years of training, provided that student members shall not be entitled to vote or be voted for at meetings.

(f) Distant Members A member of the Association not ordinarily resident in Nigeria shall be termed a distant member provi-ded he fulfils all his financial obligations.

2. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership may be terminated in any of the following ways.

(a) By removal of name from the Register of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria thereby effecting an automatic loss of membership of the Association. Such a member can only be reinstated if application is made after his or her name has been restored to the Register.
(b) Membership may be terminated by expulsion in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
(c) By removal of name from the NMA register for non-payment of annual subscription and/or practising fee for one year. Where such a person wishes to have his name registered, he shall pay the debt owed plus a 10% surcharge on such debt.