By Isreal Adamu, Jos
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving an increase in the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years and other core skilled/clinical healthcare workers to 65 years.
MDCAN President, Prof. Mohammad Aminu, gave the commendation while speaking to journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Over the years, MDCAN has been at the forefront of advocating for an increase in the retirement age of its members to 70 years to address brain drain, enhance knowledge transfer, and improve healthcare delivery.
According to Prof. Aminu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, played a critical role in securing the approval from President Tinubu and has been advised to formalize the policy implementation.
He explained that Pate conveyed the policy shift during a high-level meeting with MDCAN executives, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and other key stakeholders in the health sector.
Prof. Aminu also noted that discussions focused on progress regarding the welfare of doctors and other healthcare professionals. He emphasized that the Coordinating Minister confirmed that arrears resulting from the adjustment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) are set for payment.
On the rationale behind extending the retirement age for medical consultants, Prof. Aminu argued that the extension allows them to serve for 35 years, similar to other civil servants.
He pointed out that the average minimum age of graduation from medical school is now about 24-25 years. After completing a one-year housemanship and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, a young doctor enters the workforce at around 27 years old.
Residency training, from the primary fellowship exams to the final exit exams, takes a minimum of 6-7 years, but can extend to 10 or more years.
“At the end of residency, a young doctor is at least 34-35 years old, sometimes even 40, before being appointed as a consultant—if lucky—within a year of completing the program,” he explained.
The MDCAN president further noted that under the current system, a hospital consultant retires at 60, having only put in 20-25 years of service, thereby losing 10-15 active service years.
He added that the devaluation of the naira—from N1,700 to $1—has significantly reduced the earning power of Nigerian consultants. “A young consultant’s monthly salary under the CONMESS structure has crashed from $5,000 in 2014 to about $500 in November 2024,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries still offer medical consultants salaries of $5,000-$7,000 per month, similar to what Nigeria paid in 2014. This has fueled mass migration (the ‘Japa Syndrome’) as doctors seek better opportunities to avoid early retirement and meet family needs.”
Prof. Aminu urged policymakers to consider aligning the retirement age for medical consultants with that of university professors and judges in the judiciary.
He also pointed out that other healthcare workers typically enter the workforce between ages 25-30, allowing them to attain 35 years of service by the time they reach 60-65 years.
He lauded the efforts of President Tinubu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, Minister of State for Health, Dr. I.A. Salako, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, among other key stakeholders.
MDCAN, he assured, will continue to monitor the implementation process to its logical conclusion.
“We will reciprocate this gesture by striving to provide quality healthcare services to Nigerians and assisting the government in achieving its goals in healthcare, training, and research,” Prof. Aminu stated.
