The Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) is the salary structure used by the federal government of Nigeria to pay health workers with the exception of doctors. The federal government introduced this structure in 2009. It came to full effect in 2010 and managed by the National salaries and wages commission.
CONHESS salary scale applies to Nurses, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Medical Laboratory Scientists, and Radiographers. An entry-level nurse cannot be placed lower than CONHESS 07 on the salary structure. However, as the years of experience increase so also is rise on the salary structure accumulating more pay in the process.
The approximations of the basic monthly salary from CONHESS 07 are presented in the table below :
| Structure | Monthly Pay | |
| 1 | CONHESS 07 | ₦80,000 |
| 2 | CONHESS 08 | ₦90,000 |
| 3 | CONHESS 09 | ₦100,000 |
| 4 | CONHESS 10 | ₦120,000 |
| 5 | CONHESS 11 | ₦150,000 |
| 6 | CONHESS12 | ₦180,000 |
| 7 | CONHESS 13 | ₦230,000 |
| 8 | CONHESS 14 | ₦280,000 |
| 9 | CONHESS 15 | ₦350,000 |
How to Become a Nurse in Nigeria
Becoming a nurse in Nigeria requires going through the nursing training either in a School of Nursing, School of Basic midwifery or in a University. The training in the School of nursing is a hospital-based one that runs for three years and leads to the award of a Certificate in General Nursing.
Here is a step by step guide on how to become a nurse in Nigeria.
Be Certified
It is essential you get the necessary certificate if you want to be a recognized nurse in Nigeria. You are expected to have the compulsory SSCE certificate with at least a credit pass in the major science course including English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. You then strive to be admitted to a Nursing school or University. Typically, the duration for the nursing program is 3 years in Nursing school and 5 years in the University. You will get an associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree (BSN)
Go for Internship
At the end of the program, you will be posted for a compulsory 1-year internship in a hospital where you will practise as a nurse and have the opportunity to relate with other professional nurses.
National Youth Service Corps
NYSC is a one-year service year where you are expected to serve your motherland. Ideally, you will be posted to a hospital in the area you are posted to. Only nurses that attended University goes for NYSC.
Apply for a job
Once you’ve gone through these processes, you apply for a job in any of the parastatals that need your services like the hospital, clinic, pharmacy and such likes.