Abia Governor Alex Otti has approved a new salary structure and the recruitment of 771 health workers across the state. Read full story.
… Otti targets healthcare transformation as new salary structure, mass recruitment, and special packages for medical experts begin May 1st
By All Facts Newspaper | 30th May 2025
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, has once again demonstrated his administration’s unwavering commitment to healthcare transformation by approving a groundbreaking salary structure for all health workers in the state, alongside the recruitment of 771 new professionals to strengthen the sector.
The Governor, on April 29, 2025, gave the green light for the implementation of the Abia State Health Workers Salary Scale (ASHWOSS), a new pay structure that aligns fully with the Federal Government’s Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for other health professionals. The new wage regime takes effect from May 1, 2025.
With this decisive move, Abia becomes one of the few states in Nigeria where healthcare professionals will earn the same salaries as their federal counterparts, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists.
In a further show of commitment, Governor Otti has approved the recruitment of 771 new healthcare workers across various disciplines, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and laboratory scientists. This number was determined following a detailed needs assessment conducted across all state-owned health facilities and agencies.
To support this massive recruitment drive, Governor Otti also approved the immediate release of funds to cover the emoluments of the newly recruited professionals.
In a strategic move to attract and retain top-tier medical experts, the Governor directed the Abia State Ministry of Health to develop a special emolument package targeted at consultants and specialists in rare but critical fields. These include areas such as:
Laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery
Anesthesia and intensive care
Transplant and robotic surgery
Cardiac and neurosurgery
Neonatology
Interventional radiology, neurology, cardiology, and nephrology
Ophthalmology
Oncology
Orthopedics
Plastic surgery
These special packages will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, reflecting the complexity and scarcity of the required skillsets.
The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, who signed the release, commended Governor Otti for placing health sector revitalization at the top of his governance agenda. He assured the public that all approved measures will take effect beginning May 1, 2025, as the state marches steadily toward universal healthcare access and improved service delivery.
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