How we helped Nigeria recruit 774 health fellows: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has detailed its role in assisting Nigeria to recruit 774 national health fellows, one for each local government area (LGA). The initiative is part of the National Health Fellows Programme, designed to strengthen healthcare services at the grassroots level.

The global health body WHO said its involvement began at the request of the Federal Ministry of Health, which sought its expertise to ensure a transparent and merit-based selection process.

“To ensure transparency and uphold global health standards, Minister Pate tasked WHO, the lead health agency and technical partner, with chairing the recruitment committees across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” WHO stated.

The NHFP is housed within the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination office under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. The programme aims to address systemic healthcare challenges and drive lasting change within Nigeria’s health sector.

Selection Process

President Bola Tinubu launched the programme on March 6, marking the official employment of the selected fellows. He said the 774 candidates emerged from a pool of over 360,000 applicants.

“This programme is a transformative initiative that underscores my administration’s commitment to harnessing the immense potential of Nigeria’s greatest asset—its young people,” President Tinubu remarked.

WHO said it led a meticulous recruitment process. “Candidates from all 774 LGAs submitted applications online, followed by a pre-screening phase that shortlisted the top three applicants per LGA based on predefined criteria. A state-level screening, led by WHO staff, then finalized the selection of fellows,” WHO explained.

Walter Mulombo, WHO Country Representative, praised Nigeria for adopting innovative healthcare approaches.

“These unprecedented, transformative initiatives—including the National Health Fellowship Program, Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), State of Health Report, Redesigned Community Health Workers Programme, and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC)—demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly’s resolutions on universal health coverage,” he said.

Health fellow Raji Latefat, from Osun State, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to contribute. “After the training from government and WHO experts, I look forward to supporting the government in achieving the desired goal. I promise to do my work skilfully and achieve what is expected from me as a health fellow,” she said.

WHO Kaduna State Coordinator, Bello Ahmed, shared insights on the screening process in Kaduna, where over 50 candidates from 23 LGAs were evaluated. “Through this process, we identified talented candidates for the Health Fellowship Programme, contributing to enhanced leadership and skills within Nigeria’s health sector,” he noted.

Once deployed, the fellows will play a crucial role in improving Nigeria’s healthcare system. Their responsibilities will include implementing national and state health policies, training health workers, streamlining processes, and enhancing programme efficiency. Expected benefits include:

• IFellows will expand healthcare coverage to underserved communities.
• Hands-on experience and training will contribute to the long-term development of Nigeria’s health sector.
• Fellows will support local monitoring and response to disease outbreaks.
• They will lead public health campaigns and educate communities on preventive healthcare measures.