From Victor Osula Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has launched the National Health Fellows Programme, a pivotal component of his Renewed Hope Agenda. The programme aims to revitalise Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
The programme, approved in April 2024, aims to enhance accountability and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Since February 27, 2025, 774 fellows have been trained under the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination office. The scheme is designed to drive meaningful change with innovation in the health sector. The fellows were selected on merit-based criteria from over 359,000 applicants.
Speaking at the presidential launch of the programme in Abuja on Thursday, President Tinubu assured the fellows of employment opportunities and declared them hired. He also applauded them as pioneers of a new era.
“The Coordinating Minister and the champion of this programme have requested approval, and luckily, the Minister of Finance is here also.
“This programme is designed to expose you to best practices, 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”, he said.
On his part, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, urged federal, state, and local governments to integrate the fellows into the workforce to support Universal Health Coverage.
The Minister highlighted their crucial role in driving innovation and supporting the ambitious plan to increase primary healthcare centres from 8,809 to17,618 by 2027.
