The truth is that doctors, no matter where they may have claimed to be working is always high. The agreed salary rate of military doctors in Nigeria too, to be specific, is unashamedly high and huge.
In contribution to the popular belief that deifies the economic benefits of being a doctor, particularly in Nigeria, no matter what situation or environment a trained medical student is automatically assumed to be fortunate.
The military is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct military uniform. A nation’s military may function as a discrete social subculture, with dedicated infrastructure such as military housing, schools, utilities, logistics, hospitals, legal services, food production, finance, and banking services.
Beyond warfare, the military may be employed in additional sanctioned and non-sanctioned functions within the state, including internal security threats, crowd control, promotion of political agendas, emergency services and reconstruction, protecting corporate economic interests, social ceremonies and national honor guards.
Do Military Doctors Earn Big in Nigeria?
It is time we started knowing the salary rate of military doctors in Nigeria. Although it depends on the level of experience of the employed doctor, their salary scale is still very much weighty than other professionals in other fields:
History of the Armed Forces and the Military Doctors
The structure of the Nigerian Army and monthly salary cannot be talked about without harping on the history of this branch of the Armed forces. The history of the Nigerian Army can be traced back to 1863 when the British colonial government established a Constabulary Force in Lagos to maintain law and order.
Over time, the force evolved into what was known as the West Africa Frontier Force, which was responsible for maintaining peace and order in the region. After Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country formed its own army, which was initially called the Nigerian Military Forces. The first commander of the Nigerian Army was Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi.
Civil War Era (1967-1970)
In 1967, Nigeria was plunged into a civil war after the secession of the southeastern region led to the formation of the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian Army was instrumental in ending the war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970. The war was one of the bloodiest in Africa’s history, with an estimated one million people losing their lives.
Read Also: Salary Rate of Military Doctors in Nigeria
Post-Civil War Era (1970-1999)
After the civil war, the Nigerian Army continued to play a vital role in the country’s political and social landscape. During this period, the army was involved in several coups and counter-coups, which led to political instability and military rule.
In 1999, Nigeria returned to democratic rule, and the Nigerian Army has since focused on improving its capabilities and contributing to peacekeeping operations around the world. Nigerian troops have participated in several international peacekeeping missions, including in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.
Sadly, despite the pre and post civil war era, the Nigerian army, being one of the largest armies in Africa is still among the least paid armed forces in the world despite being ranked as number 4 in Africa.
Salary Scale of the Military Doctors
In this post, we will be giving you the breakdown of the Nigerian army salary structure in 2023 but before we do that, it is necessary to breakdown the structure of the NAF.
A Newly Commissioned Officer with the rank of Captain earns ₦220,000 (about $570 USD)
Note: This base salary increases with each year of service and can reach up to ₦1,500,000 (about $3,900 USD) per month for a General with over 40 years of service.
A mid-career Medical Officer with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of ₦2,457,804.
An experienced Medical Officer with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of ₦3,500,000.
They also receive other forms of compensation, such as hazard pay for those deployed to combat zones or hardship pay for those serving in difficult areas.
