Nigerian Nurses Debunk Registrar’s Statement Claiming Nurses Receive N135,000 Monthly

Faruk Abubakar, the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, disclosed that the typical monthly salary for a nurse in Nigeria is no less than N135,000. Abubakar made this statement during a discussion on the ongoing controversy surrounding the verification of nurses’ certificates, aired on Tuesday’s episode of Channels Television’s Morning Brief.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives staged protests at the NMCN offices in Abuja and Lagos to express their dissatisfaction with what they perceived as obstacles to their career advancement. They urged the council to address issues such as nurses’ welfare, salary structure, staffing shortages, and other rights concerns.

During the television program, Abubakar clarified that the council does not determine nurses’ salaries; rather, it falls under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. He highlighted ongoing efforts by the ministry and the NANNM to enhance nurses’ welfare.

Abubakar stated,

“The issue of remuneration is not within the NMCN, it is the responsibility of the honourable minister of the Ministry of Health. I want to make this clear to you, a few weeks ago, NANNM paid a courtesy visit to the honourable minister, and he has constituted a committee where all issues raised by the national association (will be addressed), including the welfare that you are talking about.

“An average nurse that is engaged receives not less than N135,000, it depends on where they are working. Some of them receive up to N200,000. It depends on where they are working, whether at the national, state, or local government. I think this is the brief I can tell you.”

However, nurses have taken to Twitter (now X) to react to the Registrar’s claims. While some called his claims false, others asserted that the said pay is a meagre sum given the country’s economy.

“The man is a liar. No average nurse earns that. I am a nurse with BNSc, RN, and RPN qualifications with 11 years of nursing experience as of 2023, my take is less than 100,000. We have evidence of pay slip to prove this wrong,” an X-handler, @oluwartosynR, stated.

Another handler, @Nrs_Idreeserh, said:

Following the Registrar’s statement that nurses are paid between N150k and N200k at National, state, and local levels, @Nursingworld_Ng put up an X poll, requiring nurses to vote according to their current salary. See current votes.

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