The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has refuted recent comments made by Pastor Poju Oyemade, founder of The Covenant Nation, regarding the cost of medical education in Nigeria.
In a now-viral sermon, Pastor Oyemade claimed that Nigerian doctors spend just ₦500,000 throughout their education, contrasting this with the significantly higher costs incurred by their US counterparts. Citing conversations with Nigerian doctors working at Johns Hopkins, he lamented what he described as ingratitude among Nigerians, arguing that many don’t appreciate the subsidised system that produced them.
“In Nigeria, a person will graduate as a medical doctor and spend N500,000 throughout to become a doctor. In America, you graduate from Johns Hopkins, you graduate from Harvard as a doctor, and you spend $2,000. Are you okay? Do you know how much money you spend?” Oyemade stated.
He also criticised Nigerians who refuse to do multiple jobs at home but take on numerous hustles abroad, asserting that similar effort in Nigeria would yield success.
However, in a statement shared via X.com on Monday, NARD described Oyemade’s remarks as a gross misrepresentation of the challenges faced by medical professionals in Nigeria.
“With due respect, your recent comments reflect a misunderstanding of the realities surrounding medical education and the healthcare system in Nigeria,” the statement read.
NARD pointed to a peer-reviewed study by Osoba et al. (2021), published in the Pan African Medical Journal, which places the cost of training a doctor in Nigeria between $21,000 and $51,000—far beyond Oyemade’s claim. These figures account for tuition, living expenses, and associated costs.
The association also drew attention to the wage disparity, noting that Nigerian doctors earn an average of ₦250,000 monthly (around $170), while U.S. doctors, despite higher education costs, earn about $16,000 (₦24 million) per month.
In addressing emigration, NARD highlighted that many Nigerian families spend over $10,000 to help their doctors qualify to work abroad. The association took particular issue with Oyemade’s insinuation that Nigerian professionals are ungrateful.
“This is not about ingratitude—Nigerian doctors are among the most hardworking and resilient globally,” NARD emphasised. “While the health system is in a state of crisis, many citizens cannot afford medical tourism. It is easy for Pastors with access to tithes and offerings to seek care abroad, but their average Nigerian church member cannot.”
NARD concluded by urging Pastor Oyemade to use his platform more responsibly, calling on him to advocate for health reforms instead of making dismissive comments about healthcare professionals.
“We urge you to speak truth to power and advocate for a better health system; Nigeria currently ranks 142nd out of 195 globally,” they wrote.
“It may be worth considering the Apostles’ model—focusing on prayer, fasting, and the Word—rather than ‘serving tables.’”
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