Abuja, 13 March, 2025 – In a daring effort to enhance the well being and well-being of Nigerians, the World Well being Group (WHO) has partnered with the Nigerian authorities to launch the Nationwide Well being Fellows Program (NHFP). This transformative initiative, housed inside the Sector Large Method (SWAp) Coordination Workplace below the Workplace of the Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, goals to deploy devoted well being fellows throughout all 774 native authorities areas (LGAs) nationwide. By strengthening healthcare companies on the grassroots stage, the programme seeks to handle systemic challenges and drive lasting change in Nigeria’s well being sector.

In 2024, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu authorised the NHFP as a part of a broader technique to construct a strong, revolutionary, and well-equipped healthcare workforce. The programme will deploy younger professionals to each LGA to reinforce well being service supply, enhance coverage coordination, and foster neighborhood engagement.

WHO’s Position in Supporting the NHFP
Throughout the programme’s launch on the State Home Convention Centre in Abuja, President Tinubu praised the initiative’s formidable imaginative and prescient and rigorous choice course of, underscoring its significance for Nigeria’s healthcare future. Previous to the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, directed the SWAp Coordination Workplace to expedite recruitment efforts.

To make sure transparency and uphold international well being requirements, Minister Pate tasked WHO, the lead well being company and technical associate, with chairing the recruitment committees throughout Nigeria’s 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. With WHO main the method, the aim was to pick extremely certified professionals able to serving communities nationwide.

The recruitment course of was meticulous. Candidates from all 774 LGAs submitted purposes on-line, adopted by a pre-screening part that shortlisted the highest three candidates per LGA primarily based on predefined standards. A state-level screening, led by WHO workers, then finalized the choice of fellows.

In his goodwill message, WHO Nation Consultant Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo counseled the Nigerian authorities for adopting revolutionary approaches to remodel the well being sector. “These unprecedented, transformative initiatives—together with the Nationwide Well being Fellowship Program, Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Discount Innovation Initiative (MAMII), State of Well being Report, Redesigned Neighborhood Well being Staff Programme, and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Worth Chain (PVAC)—reveal Nigeria’s dedication to the World Well being Meeting’s resolutions on common well being protection,” he mentioned. Dr Mulombo emphasised that such efforts are very important for accelerating progress towards common well being protection in member states.

An excited well being fellow, Raji  Latefat, from Ede Constituency, Osun State, views her fellowship as a possibility to serve and contribute her quota in enhancing the well being companies in her neighborhood.

“After the coaching from authorities and WHO specialists, I sit up for supporting the federal government in reaching the specified aim. I promise to do my work skilfully and obtain what is predicted from me as a well being fellow”, she mentioned.

Dr Bello Ahmed, WHO Kaduna State Coordinator, shared insights from the screening course of in Kaduna State, the place over 50 candidates from 23 LGAs had been evaluated. “By way of this course of, we recognized proficient candidates for the Well being Fellowship Programme, contributing to enhanced management and abilities inside Nigeria’s well being sector,” he famous. As soon as deployed, the fellows are anticipated to help state governments in implementing nationwide and state-level well being insurance policies, guaranteeing alignment with international greatest practices. Their roles will even embrace coaching and monitoring well being employees, streamlining processes, decreasing paperwork, and enhancing the effectivity of well being programmes.

WHO’s help for the NHFP displays its dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure via capability constructing and workforce growth. The organisation will present technical help, coverage steering, and strategic oversight to make sure the programme aligns with international well being requirements.

Anticipated Influence of the NHFP
The NHFP is poised to create a ripple impact of optimistic well being outcomes throughout Nigeria. Key anticipated advantages embrace:
•    Improved Healthcare Entry: By stationing fellows in each LGA, the programme will improve healthcare accessibility for underserved communities.
•    Strengthened Well being Workforce: Fellows will achieve hands-on expertise and coaching, contributing to the long-term growth of Nigeria’s well being sector.
•    Enhanced Illness Surveillance and Response: Backed by the federal government and WHO, fellows will play a important position in monitoring and responding to illness outbreaks on the native stage.
•    Neighborhood Engagement and Consciousness: Fellows will lead well being campaigns, educate communities on preventive healthcare measures, and drive grassroots-level interventions.

Because the NHFP unfolds, it’s anticipated to function a mannequin for youth-driven healthcare transformation, paving the way in which for a extra resilient and environment friendly well being system in Nigeria.

Progress and Wanting Forward
Since its launch, the NHFP has sparked widespread optimism about the way forward for healthcare in Nigeria. Notably, over 774 well being fellows have already been deployed throughout the nation to serve in native authorities areas, marking a major milestone within the programme’s rollout. These fellows are actually actively working to bridge gaps in healthcare supply, strengthen native well being programs, and foster belief between communities and well being authorities.

With WHO’s technical experience and the Nigerian authorities’s management, the NHFP is well-positioned to handle longstanding challenges and ship measurable influence on the grassroots stage.

The Nationwide Well being Fellows Programme represents a important step towards reaching common well being protection in Nigeria. By empowering a brand new era of well being professionals to guide change, this initiative holds the promise of a more healthy, extra equitable future for all Nigerians.