The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has berated the administration of President Bola Tinubu for prioritising sports incentives while neglecting the welfare of medical professionals who are battling mass exodus and poor working conditions across the country.
In a statement released Tuesday on its official X handle, the association accused the government of double standards in rewarding excellence, lavishing billions on national sports teams while owing frontline doctors months of arrears and ignoring key welfare demands.
The doctors made specific reference to the Nigerian government’s recent reward package to the Super Falcons and the D’Tigress basketball team for their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) victory and international achievements.
“Nigeria’s women footballers deserve our congratulations for winning the 2024 WAFCON,” the statement began.
“The Federal Government rewarded each of the 24 players with the naira equivalent of US$100,000 and each of the 11 coaches with US$50,000; it also promised a national honour and three-bedroom apartments, bringing the cash gift to about ₦4.602 billion. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum added another ₦350 million.”
But NARD noted that while the celebration of the sportswomen is well-deserved, it reflects a worrying trend of skewed government priorities in a nation where teachers, police officers, and especially healthcare workers are underpaid and overlooked.
“Daily Trust calculated that the same amount could cover a month’s salary for roughly 16,000 doctors or 66,000 teachers—precisely the professionals whose welfare governments cite as ‘unaffordable,’” the statement noted.
“Many government-employed doctors earn between ₦200,000 and ₦250,000 a month and must cope with rising living costs which drive the brain drain crisis. Teachers and police officers are in a similar predicament; the same ₦4 billion could pay the lowest-ranked police officers for a month.”
NARD further revealed that despite repeated calls for support, the Tinubu government has failed to pay 2023–2024 accoutrement allowance arrears, upwardly revised CONMESS salary arrears, and has not fully disbursed the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
Resident doctors, the group added, also remain excluded from the specialist allowance scheme, while their requests for wage adjustments in line with the 2019 and 2024 minimum wage reviews remain unanswered.
“Our position is not to begrudge the Super Falcons and D’Tigress their well-earned celebration,” NARD clarified.
“Rather, we ask the same level of political will and financial commitment for healthcare workers who have quietly kept Nigerians alive through pandemics, insecurity and chronic underfunding.”
The association called on the Tinubu-led administration to urgently settle all outstanding allowances, honour promised salary reviews, and prioritise the welfare of doctors across the country.
“By settling outstanding allowances, implementing the promised salary reviews and prioritising welfare, the government can demonstrate that it truly values both its champions on the field and its ‘champions’ in the hospital wards,” the statement concluded.
Resident doctors have been at the forefront of Nigeria’s collapsing healthcare system, many of them working under unsafe conditions with obsolete equipment and minimal government support, driving thousands to seek greener pastures abroad.
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