Doctor laments poor pay in medical field, dumps N375K salary for N5M NGO job
A Nigerian doctor shares his experience after transitioning from a low-paying clinical job to working with an NGO that now pays him over $3,500 per month.
In an anonymous post shared via the medical platform @Nigerian_Doctor, the medic compared his previous N375,000 salary as a clinician to his current role, which not only pays significantly more but also offers luxurious travel experiences across Africa, staying in five-star hotels.
Doctors ‘suffering’ despite hard work
Reflecting on his career switch, the doctor expressed discontent over the underpayment and poor working conditions in Nigeria’s medical sector, despite the critical role doctors play in saving lives.
He wrote, “I left clinical medicine a few months back, where I was actually doing ‘real work’ and saving lives, to work for an NGO in Abuja. I now earn $3,500 monthly compared to N375,000 as a clinician, and I get to travel around Africa, lounging in five-star hotels.”
“Doctors are really suffering, mehn, considering how hard our work is. But I must say, this work is full of BS—no real work or action. Just PowerPoints, talk, and unexecuted strategies. But I can’t resign; it took me out of poverty.”
“Why are real workers who do real work—e.g., doctors, teachers, construction workers—being used and given peanuts by bullshitters like politicians and consultants?”
He advised doctors to embrace capitalism, stressing that financial stability should be prioritized.
“A hungry or starving person doesn’t have the right to free food.”
