How Much Do Neurosurgeons Earn in Nigeria? Neurosurgeons salary in Nigeria…
This is a question on the lips of everyone in Nigeria especially on social media. As a doctor (not a neurosurgeon), I know how many times I have been asked the question: “doctor, how much so they pay neurosurgeons in Nigeria”. I have come to realise that people always ask this question because they believe these brain doctors earn fat salaries. Well, i won’t burst your bubble yet…. I want you to still bask in that euphoria of neurosurgeons earning big for now.
Neurosurgeons are medical specialists that operate on the brain and spinal cord. They also carry out surgeries like laminectomy ( a surgery done on persons with low back pain caused by the vertebral column impinging on the spinal cord leading to weakening of the limbs). Mind you, this can also be performed by the Orthopedic surgeons as low back pain require a multi-specialty management. To further deviate, there are less than a hundred brain surgeons in Nigeria according to a 2019 report released by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and this means just one neurosurgeon attends to the medical needs of 10million Nigerians. Even the few ones here have moved or are moving to other countries like the USA, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Jordan, and Canada in search of better life. I don’t want to say this statistics is sad, but it is. Do you think otherwise?
Now let us talk about the salary of a neurosurgeon in Nigeria…..
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Neurosurgeons in Nigeria surprisingly earn the same as a public health consultant (analogy is purely coincidental). Every doctor is on the same CONMESS scheme and unlike in Europe or North America, doctors are not paid based on the number of input they put in OR the number of patients they see or operate on. Nigerian government has purely the same salary structure for all specialties of Medicine and Neurosurgery is not exempted.
According to the last approved salary structure for doctors which reflect the new minimum wage, a senior consultant neurosurgeon earns a monthly salary of about N1,000,000 after tax (take home pay) and 12 million Naira yearly. This is Nigeria, I don’t want to compare it with what their counterparts earn abroad. Many brain surgeons in Nigeria augment their pay with private practice in order to rake in more money. For example, a very senior neurosurgeon I spoke with said he makes close to 6 million Naira monthly from private practice (untaxed) and in total, he earns about #50 million yearly. Mind you, not every brain doctor earns this high from private practice.
NEW INFORMATION: The federal government has implemented and started paying the long awaited hazard allowance to consultants including neurosurgeons at #40,000 naira… This is a great increase from the the usual #5,000 we use to know.
Have I answered your question? Do you think they should earn more? Are you disappointed with their pay?
Let us discuss in the comments section.
Good morning.
