Nurses Salary Structure in Nigeria Today (July, 2024)

What are nurses salary in Nigeria this 2024? How much do a nurses in Nigeria earn on average? This is what this post seek to answer.

If you plan on choosing nursing as a career and you are wondering how much is the salary of nurses in Nigeria? If yes, you are on the right page.

We formerly wrote on how to renew your nursing license, this time focus has shifted to how they are being paid.

Being a professional nurse in Nigeria is one of the lucrative careers one can opt for. Although, its been termed a female profession, it will shock you that males perform better than females in this category.

Every hospital needs nurses no doubt. Most of the time, registered nurses work for hospitals or medical clinics. Registered nurses may also work for other organizations, such as outpatient facilities, rehabilitation centers, or senior centers.

Their main job is to promote wellness and health. To become a registered nurse, one must have an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Also, some employers require candidates to have prior experience as a registered nurse.

They are required to have a license from their state’s board of nursing. Also, some states require that registered nurses pass a medication administration exam in order to administer medications.

Before we delve into the remuneration of nurses in the country, lets see how one can become a certified nurse in the country today.

You should know that to become a registered nurse in Nigeria can be difficult but on the long run, can fetch you fame and a fulfilled career.

As a registered nurse, you can also opt in for clinical, educational, research based, and management positions.

Which ever role you choose, you can find yourself working in hospitals, NGO’s, nursing homes, corporate organizations or even educational institutions.

While it can be interesting to practice as a professional nurse, there are requirements needed to gain admission into the university to study nursing as a career.

First, interested candidates must finish their secondary school with 5 credits in the following core subjects: English, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Maths and other related courses.

Well, the duration to study and become a registered nurse is normally three years if you are admitted into any accredited nursing school in the country.

It is in this nursing school that serve as centres where you would be trained properly on how to become a certified nurse to the obtainable standard and you would be giving a certificate when you are done with the school.

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing spans a 5 year duration programme.

Currently, there are about 70 approved schools of nursing in the various states in Nigeria while over 21 universities that offer the Bachelor of Nursing science degree are either state universities, federal universities and private universities.

The federal universities offering nursing as a degree include:

• Bayero University (Kano),
• Obafemi Awolowo University (Osun),
• University of Benin (Edo),
• University of Calabar (Cross River),
• University of Ibadan (Oyo),
• University of Ilorin (Kwara),
• University of Jos (Plateau),
• University of Lagos (Lagos),
• University of Nigeria (Enugu),
• University of Maiduguri (Borno)
• University of Port Harcourt (Rivers)

The state universities offering degree in nursing in Nigeria include:

• Abia State University (Abia),
• Ambrose Alli University (Edo),
• Delta State University (Delta),
• Ebonyi State University (Ebonyi)
• Evans Enwerem University (Imo),
• Ladoke Akintola University of Science and Technology (Osun)
• Niger Delta University (Bayelsa).

The private universities offering the degree in nursing science include:

• Afe Babalola University,
• Babcock University,
• Igbinedion University

After finishing your 5 years programme, you move to any health institutions approved by the Nursing and Midwives Council of Nigeria for your one year internship.

Normally, the Bachelor of Nursing science degree is awarded along certifications as a registered nurse and midwife. There are universities who include the public health nurse registration certificate to what you have earned.

AVERAGE NURSES SALARY IN NIGERIA

In western developed countries, the average salary nurses take home is mouth watering, hence they are among the highest paid professionals.

In Nigeria, the reverse is the case as the monthly salary of health workers including nurses is quite poor especially when you consider the functions that these professionals do on a day to day basis.

Although, after the series of strikes, an increase to the salary of nurses in Nigeria was proposed by the FG as seen in the new CONHESS structure.

Be aware that there is a difference in the salary structure of nurses and that of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CTISS) and Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CPSSS).

WHAT IS THE SALARY OF NURSES IN NIGERIA?

Just like other profession in Nigeria and the world at large, nurses salaries differs depending on the employers. However, from a recent survey, over 50% of nurses earn between ₦100,000 to ₦300,000 and ₦50,000 – ₦100,000 as salary in Nigeria on average. The survey also revealed that about 10% of nurses earn above ₦300,000 on average.

However, note that the sample size for the survey carried out is small and as such, it can’t be used as to tell the each state salary of nurses, it can only be used as an estimate.

For nurses working in private hospitals, the average salary falls between ₦80,000 and ₦150,000 (Correct figure)

From the above, the remuneration package of nurses in the country is poor compared to other countries taking into cognisance the kind of work they put in.

Imagine a hospital with 5 nurses and over 30 patients to cater for and at the end of the day, you are paid little or even owed by the federal government.

While the problem to train and admit enough nursing professionals still persist, the healthcare professionals on ground should be paid well.

Here are the allowance entitlements accrued to this nurses salary structure:

• Call duty allowance: For health professionals working in Federal hospitals or medical centres. If its in a clinic, you should be paid your call duty allowance if you have performed a call duty as seen on the call duty roster.
• Specialist allowance: For healthcare professionals who have attained the position of consultant.
• Shift duty allowance: Payable to nurses and health workers that run shifts (Night and day).
• Clinical duty allowance: This allowance is paid to academic staff in the university who render clinical services in the teaching hospital as consultant.
• Non clinical duty allowance: This allowance is paid to all health professionals that offer health services in the Federal Ministry of Health or Federal Health institutions.
• Teaching allowance: Specifically for nurses that teach health professionals at the federal teaching hospital or at a medical centre.
• Hazard allowance and 
• Rural posting allowance.

CONCLUSION

While we hope that the salary of nurses will improve since the various unions of health workers in the country are hell bent on seeing that the remunerations as agreed by the Federal Government is implemented soonest. This article gives the current range of salary of nurses in Nigeria today.