A Nigerian pharmacist has reportedly rejected a federal government job offer after discovering that the salary would leave her with a monthly take-home pay of about ₦260,000.
The pharmacist, identified on X as @Pharm_Emem, shared a copy of her appointment letter online as evidence of the offer and the remuneration attached to the position.
Pharmacist Shares Appointment Letter
According to the document, she was offered the position of Pharmacist Grade I under CONHESS 09 Step 02.
The appointment came with a commencing annual salary of ₦2,441,897.04.
Additional allowances listed in the letter included a ₦384,000 annual hazard allowance, ₦683,633.40 call duty allowance and ₦244,189.68 teaching allowance.
With the allowances included, her total annual package amounted to ₦3,893,530.44.
However, the pharmacist said the amount she would actually receive after deductions was not attractive enough for her to accept the position.
‘I Already Earn Almost Double’
The pharmacist disclosed that she currently earns almost twice the amount offered by the federal government at her private-sector job.
She wrote:
“I already earn almost double of that in a private pharmacy but because it’s Federal job I should quit and be struggling with 260k.”
She also revealed that her side hustle in the technology sector had previously paid her more than the federal government’s offer.
“Even my tech side job paid me more as an entry level. Federal government need to do better else healthcare workers will keep leaving.”
Pharmacist Speaks on Healthcare Workers
@Pharm_Emem made the disclosure while reacting to a video shared by comedian Lasisi Elenu, who had lamented the condition of government hospitals and the shortage of bed spaces in public health facilities.
The pharmacist suggested that the remuneration offered to healthcare professionals could be one of the factors making private-sector opportunities more attractive and contributing to the continued movement of healthcare workers away from government employment.
She explained that accepting the federal appointment would have significantly affected her finances, noting that her projected take-home pay would barely cover some of her work-related expenses.
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