Former NMA Boss, Prof. Mike Reveals Saudi Arabia Pays Nigerian Medicine Professors N6m As Monthly Salary, While Federal Government Pays N420,000

Professor Mike Ogirima who is the former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, has revealed how much health Workers outside Nigerian earns.

Prof. Mike Ogirima, also blamed the federal government for the poor mass exodus of workers in the health sector to other country.

According to Ogirima, Saudi Arabia pays Nigerian professors of medicine between five to six million naira as monthly salary while the Federal Government pays their counterparts in the country the sum of N420, 000.

Ogirima revealed that some of the professors are even paid up to seven million naira per month in Saudi Arabia while in Nigeria, the highest they are paid is less than N500,000 per month.

The Professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery stressed that the Federal Government is responsible for the massive brain drain in the health sector, lamenting that the situation is getting worse.

Ogirima disclosed this during an interview while speaking about the ongoing strike by doctors under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors.

He expressed concern over the government’s incessant failure to fulfil its part of the agreement reached with doctors as well as other labour unions.

Ogirima said, “The strike is causing a lot of brain drain. We are losing our doctors. About two weeks ago, 150 doctors interested in practicing in the United Kingdom wrote their clinical exams.

“I know many professors of my type that have secured employment with Saudi Arabia and they are paying them on the average, five million to six million naira per month.

“But here in Nigeria, the Federal Government pays them the sum of N420, 000 per month. How will a professor survive with N420, 000 monthly, a professor of medicine? 

“There are great offers in Saudi Arabia and some of our professors are even paid up to seven million per month.

“But we have chosen to be here; everybody can’t move. It is not that we are not as bright as those who have moved, but we have chosen to stay. There are so many reasons that hold some of us here.”

Continuing, the former NMA president said, “There is a big problem in the health system. The problem is that the government cannot motivate the workforce. That is a failure on the government. The professionals that you have, you are playing with them.

“You are paying legislatures huge hazard allowance per month and you are just giving doctors N5000. That is injustice in the system

 “For example, the plan by the Federal Government to place doctors in academia on Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure has caused a lot of problems in the health sector already. 

“That singular decision has caused a lot of senior doctors to move out of the country.”