The need for a robust healthcare sector in Nigeria has been highlighted not only by the global COVID-19 pandemic but also by a growing population and the Japa syndrome.
The skills of healthcare professionals are incredibly vital in fighting diseases, preventing infections, and protecting against health threats.
Healthcare roles require professionals to spend long years studying. Most healthcare roles in Nigeria require professionals to spend 5-7 years in a professional course at the university, and then do an internship before going on the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Yet, despite the importance of healthcare professionals in Nigeria, healthcare professionals are often underpaid, overworked, and made to work in hostile and unfriendly environments.
Frequent Doctors’ strikes
Nigerian doctors in both the public and private sector are popular for embarking on strikes and the major reason is to demand a salary increase.
In July -August 2023, resident doctors through the National Association of Resident Doctors went on a 3-week strike demanding an increase in salaries from 200 percent to 550 percent because of the removal of fuel subsidies in the nation.
Last month, doctors in Kogi went on a 21-day strike.
The inflation in salaries
The salaries of healthcare professionals are pathetic compared to the long hours put in.
The recent economic crisis of the country has further eroded the remuneration received leaving healthcare professionals with no choice but to seek greener pastures in other countries (Japa) or completely leave the profession.
The healthcare professionals that are left are stretched past capacity and it leaves more room for medical errors, accidents, poor patient care, and in some cases, death.
Solution in sight
As a way to control disparities among salaries of healthcare professionals, official and unofficial groups in all healthcare professions come together to create a list of recommended average salaries for each profession.
The list is curated so that each professional can charge within the range and for healthcare settings to pay staff within the range.
Here are the recommended average salaries for different healthcare jobs in Nigeria.
| Healthcare roles | Recommended Average salaries. |
| Occupational Therapist | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Nutritionists and Dieticians | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Public/Community Health Officer (Bsc, HND), Senior CHEW (SCHEW-HND) | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Optometrist | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Physiotherapist | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Nursing Officer (RN/RM, BNSc/RN, Double qualified)
|
N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | N160,000-N320,000 monthly |
| Radiographer | N200,000-N350,000 monthly |
| Pharmacist | N200,000-N350,000 monthly |
| Doctors/Physicians | N250,000-N400,000 monthly |
| NEBOSH Safety Officers | N1 million-N3 million monthly |