The Presidency has queried the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) for stating that studying to become a doctor in Nigeria costs between $21,000 and $54,000.

This was after the NARD cautioned Pastor Poju Oyemade of Covenant Christian Centre for saying one only needs to spend N500k to graduate as a medical doctor in Nigeria.

During a seminar as seen in a viral video on social media, Pastor Oyemade stated that becoming a medical doctor after spending only N500k is a huge privilege in Nigeria.

According to him, those who become doctors in the United States spend thousands of dollars to achieve the goal, yet many Nigerians allow themselves to be programmed to hate their country.

Reacting, NARD stated that contrary to Oyemade's claim, it costs between $21,000 and $51,000 to study and graduate as a medical doctor.

The association wrote, "Dear @pastorpoju, 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. (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.

"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.

"As a final note, it may be worth considering the Apostles’ model—focusing on prayer, fasting, and the Word—rather than “serving tables.”

"Wishing you a reflective and blessed Easter."

Not pleased with the resident doctor's claim, Presidential aide, Dada Olusegun, asked the association to name the school in Nigeria that charges such fees

Olusegun shared on X, "Dear NARD, which Public university do students pay between $21,000 to $54,000
In Nigeria to study medicine? This is just sad attempt at shifting the goal post."

ASA