Poju Oyemade
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!
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“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
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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).
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“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.”
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Dear @pastorpoju,
With due respect, your recent comments reflect a misunderstanding of the realities surrounding medical education and the healthcare system in Nigeria.
AdvertisementContrary to your claim, no medical doctor is trained on N500,000. A peer-reviewed study by Osoba et al.… https://t.co/7s3y3tP6bg
— NARD (@nard_nigeria) April 21, 2025
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