Nurses Snubbed: Kogi State Governor Approves ₦300,000 Monthly “Motivation” Allowance for Doctors
Fellow Nurses Africa, September 29, 2025
In a move that has sparked outrage among healthcare workers, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has approved a ₦300,000 monthly “motivation” allowance exclusively for medical doctors in government-owned hospitals. The announcement, made during the launch of a healthcare access program for 76,000 local government civil servants, pensioners, and students in Lokoja on Monday, September 29, 2025, aims to curb the “Japa” brain drain syndrome affecting doctors. However, nurses, a critical pillar of Kogi’s healthcare system, have been blatantly excluded from this financial incentive, raising concerns about fairness and recognition.
According to a report by Leadership News, the allowance is designed to retain medical doctors amid poor remuneration challenges in Nigeria. Governor Ododo expressed alarm over the mass exodus of medical personnel and vowed to address it, stating, “The Japa syndrome is negatively affecting our health service delivery, and my administration would not relent in stopping the development through provision of necessary comfort for our medical personnel.” Yet, the omission of nurses from this substantial allowance has left many feeling undervalued and overlooked.
Nurses in Kogi State, compensated under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), typically earn between ₦80,000 and ₦350,000 monthly, with most falling far below the ₦300,000 mark. No official statement from the Kogi State government or the Ministry of Health has confirmed plans to extend similar benefits to nurses or other healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists or laboratory technologists.
The healthcare access program launched alongside the allowance includes 28,056 local government civil servants, 3,427 pensioners, and 44,760 tertiary institution students. Governor Ododo also announced free health insurance for pensioners earning below ₦50,000, with minimal contributions for others, and directed state officials to enroll additional citizens into the scheme. While these steps aim to improve healthcare access, the exclusion of nurses from the ₦300,000 allowance has overshadowed the initiative for many in the nursing community.
Fellow Nurses Africa calls on the Kogi State government to address this apparent injustice and provide clarity on plans to support nurses, who are indispensable to patient care.
We also call on the the National Association of Nigerian Nurses , NANNM, Kogi State Chapter to take the bull by the horns and demand justice and fairness for nurses.
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