President Bola Tinubu has officially granted automatic employment to 774 fellows under the national health programme, a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare sector. The announcement was made during the presidential launch of the initiative in Abuja.
Addressing the fellows responsible for monitoring Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across all 774 local government areas, Tinubu declared, “You are hired,” assuring them that they would be absorbed into the workforce at the completion of their one-year tenure.
“The Coordinating Minister and the champion of this program have requested approval, and luckily the Minister of Finance is here also,” the President stated.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Tinubu said, “This programme is designed to expose you to best practices and keep you of the knowledge and skill to transform the sector. Healthcare is a critical pillar of national development; no country can prosper if its people are unhealthy, and unsustainable health programmes are a precise danger. Sustainable development is only possible with a strong healthcare system, and you are the pillars.”
The announcement came after the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, urged authorities at the federal, state, and local government levels to integrate the fellows into the healthcare workforce to strengthen Nigeria’s pursuit of universal health coverage.
The national health fellows scheme is structured to drive innovation and foster positive change within the health sector. Fellows were chosen through a rigorous merit-based selection process from a pool of over 359,000 applicants.
This initiative is a key component of President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, which seeks to reform and revitalize Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, ensuring wider access to quality medical services.
