A comment by Poju Oyemade, senior pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, claiming that medical graduates spend just N500,000 to complete their education in Nigeria, has stirred controversy across social media platforms.
Speaking during a sermon on April 13, Oyemade said Nigerians
are being “programmed” on social media to hate their country.
The cleric narrated his conversation with some Nigerians
when he visited America.
While comparing the cost of medical education in Nigeria and
US, the cleric said: “In Nigeria, a person will graduate as a medical doctor
and spend N500,000 throughout to become a doctor. Throughout!
“In America, you graduate from Johns Hopkins and Harvard as
a doctor, and you spend $2,000. Are you okay? Do you know how much money you
spend. Nigerians are ungrateful,” he added.
The video clip of the sermon is trending on social media
platforms.
NARD REACTS
Reacting to the cleric’s comments via a post published on X, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said Oyemade’s assertions “reflect a misunderstanding of the realities surrounding medical education and the healthcare system in Nigeria”.
NARD said no medical doctor in Nigeria gets trained on the
sum of N500,000.
“Contrary to your claim, no medical doctor is trained on
N500,000. A peer-reviewed study by Osoba et al. (2021), published in the Pan
African Medical Journal, estimates the cost of training a doctor in Nigeria to
range between $21,000 and $51,000—this includes tuition, living expenses, and
other associated costs,” the association reads.
“Despite this investment, the average Nigerian doctor earns
about N250,000 monthly (roughly $170), a stark contrast to their counterparts
in the U.S., where training costs around $275,000, and the average monthly
salary is about $16,000 (₦24 million).
“For a Nigerian doctor to qualify and practice in the U.S.,
their family often spends over $10,000 to support the process.
“This is not about ingratitude—Nigerian doctors are among
the most hardworking and resilient globally. 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.
“We urge you to speak truth to power and advocate for a
better health system; Nigeria currently ranks 142nd out of 195 globally.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayDear @pastorpoju,
— NARD (@nard_nigeria) April 21, 2025
With due respect, your recent comments reflect a misunderstanding of the realities surrounding medical education and the healthcare system in Nigeria.
Contrary to your claim, no medical doctor is trained on N500,000. A peer-reviewed study by Osoba et al.… https://t.co/7s3y3tP6bg
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I have found out that pastors constitute the greater problems that Nigerians go through. Very soon, Nigerians will wake up and their business of tithesand offerings will flop.
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