Nigerian doctor who took loans to relocate to UK shares experience

2026-02-23 - 15:36

A Nigerian doctor, Toluwani Binutu, has shared his emotional journey of working for more than a year without pay before taking loans to relocate to the United Kingdom, UK in search of better opportunities. In a Facebook post, Binutu narrated the struggles he endured in Nigeria’s healthcare system, revealing that he worked for 14 months before receiving any salary and was later punished for speaking out. He wrote: “I worked as a Doctor in Nigeria for 14 months before I was paid. When we finally spoke up, we were blacklisted. After medical school, I took a house job at a Military Hospital in Lagos. I started as a supernumerary doctor. “A few months later, I was officially absorbed as permanent staff. Still no salary. Months passed. Ward rounds. Emergency calls. Night shifts. Still no salary. “We were advised not to leave.“If you leave, you may never get paid.” So we stayed. When we eventually went on strike and told our story on national TV, salaries were released. Eight months. Out of fourteen. “Then we were punished. Blocked from signing off for NYSC. Reported. Blacklisted. I sat at home for seven months. Seven. No progress. No income. No clarity. “That season changed me. Not because it broke me. But because it taught me something uncomfortable: Hard work alone is not enough. Sometimes you need leverage. “Years later, after being confirmed as permanent staff elsewhere, my “reward” was a reduction in my net salary. When I told my Mum, she cried. That was the moment I made a decision. I would never rely on titles alone again. I would build leverage. “I lived with my parents. Didn’t buy a car. Saved aggressively. Took loans. Did everything I could to move to the UK.” Binutu also described how his life changed after relocating abroad, saying the move helped him clear his debts and build influence online. He added: “Within six months of working in the UK, I had cleared every loan. Then I started building online. Not for fame. For influence. “Today, over 1,000,000 people follow my work. Not because I’m extraordinary. But because I refused to remain powerless. Money and influence are not evil. They amplify whoever holds them. “If you’re a young professional feeling stuck right now:This season will not define you. But your response to it will. What would you have done?” Vanguard News