Earnings of Nigerian doctors are outrageously low compared to what doctors in European countries take home at the end of the month. Sadly, there are only 50% of registered 72,000 doctors working in Nigeria.
Nigerian Doctors in Operation
But, Nigerian doctors still do far better than quite a lot of other African doctor.
Earnings of Nigerian Doctors in Private and Public Hospitals.
However, doctors in other African countries not less than 45 are better paid than their Nigerian equals.
Of all 55 African countries, the Guardian investigation proved an analysis of 9 countries where the pay is quite low as the one shown below:
- Nigerian doctors – $320
- Sudan – $66
- Cameroon – $300
- Egypt – $157
- Guinea Conakry – $102
- Zimbabwe – $83
- Uganda – $300
- Algeria – $265
- Burundi – $100
- Ethiopia – $300
The immediate past president of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Segun Olaopa, noted that the comparison might not be fairly contextualised in absolute terms.
This is because “a very senior doctor who gets about $1,200 cannot, for instance, be compared with another who, perhaps, trained in Nigeria and earns more than $10,000 monthly or whose currency devaluation of equal pay puts him at a cataclysmic disadvantage.
For instance, $500 dollars in Nigeria earned by doctors cannot be equivalent in pay to the same amount in a country like Ghana.
Even when we look in absolute terms, the Nigerian doctor’s pay is very terrible, irrespective of the calculating index.”
The Highest Earnings of Nigerian Doctors in Public Hospitals (2021)
The outline of public doctors’ salaries, especially those in central hospitals that were paid by the Federal Government, shows the salary range to be between N195, 000 and N220, 000.
Notably, this salary is exclusive of several reductions in taxes and others.
Entry-level doctors, who are in state-owned hospitals, are paid the minimum of N150, 000 on a monthly basis, while the maximum salary is N240, 000.
Senior medical consultants and Senior doctors are paid N800, 000.
Note that the salary scale of public doctors is subject to increment.
As a medical doctor working in a government-owned hospital, your salary increases based on your qualifications, expertise, experience, professionalism, and event duration.
Nonetheless, the earnings vary from one state to another.
The Highest Earnings of Nigerian Doctors in Private Hospitals (2021)
Entry-level Doctor (house officer) earns an average of N170,000 ($470).
An average Middle-level Medical Doctor (junior resident) earns N270,000 ($746) per month.
A Senior Registrar earns up to N400,000 ($1,106) as monthly wages, while a Consultant/Specialist rakes in N650,000 ($1,800) and above.
Some Consultants in Nigeria may earn up to N1.2 million monthly, that is approximately $3,100 monthly.
Also, Junior Doctors in Private Hospitals earn between N80, 000 and N130,000 monthly ($221 – $360)
Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS)
According to Nigeria’s Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), the highest-paid medical doctor on CONMESS, Level 9 earns N8,517,892 ($22,062.86) per annum.
This means in Nigeria on CONMESS, that is approximately N709,824.33.
It is $1,838.57 in dollar per month.
Also, note that these salaries are at the whims and caprices of the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs), who may decide to slash it as they wish. This is very common, and they go unchecked.
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Other Financial Benefits to Doctors’ Earnings in Nigeria
Apart from those who are involved in multiple jobs for additional income, the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) listed other financial benefits of doctors in Nigeria as follows;
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Specialist Allowance
The specialist allowance applies only to medical/dental officers who are employed as consultants.
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Call Duty Allowance
Call duty allowance is payable to medical/dental officers in federal hospitals and clinics. It is to be earned only when an officer would have actually performed call duty in accordance with an existing call duty roster.
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Health Professional Non-Clinical Duty Allowance
This allowance is payable to medical/dental officers deployed to render health-related services in the federal ministry of health and other federal health institutions.
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Clinical Duty Allowance
This allowance is payable to honorary consultants, who are employed as academic staff in universities but render clinical services to teaching/specialist hospitals.
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Teaching Allowance
This allowance is payable to federal medical/dental officers who are engaged in the teaching of medical doctors or other health professionals in training and teaching/ specialist hospitals.
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Hazard Allowance
Hazard allowance is also paid across the board to all medical/ dental officers.
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Rural posting allowance
Federal medical/dental officers who are stationed in rural communities are also paid this allowance at the rates specified. The federal ministry of health and the national salaries incomes and wages commission jointly determines the designation of a health station as rural.
The Earnings of Housemanship During Internship Period In Nigeria
The housemanship (internship period) is a compulsory one-year program after graduating from medical school. It is at this time that newly qualified graduate doctors practice under supervision in designated hospitals in the country for experience.
The Earnings of Housemanship interns are within the scale of #120,000 to #200,000, depending on the hospital and location.
Though, those of them working in federal teaching hospitals earn more than those working in state hospitals.
