By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government will on Monday, January 12, begin the final interview stage of the National Health Fellows (NHF) Programme 2.0, marking a key phase in efforts to strengthen health sector leadership at the grassroots.
The interviews, to be coordinated by the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, represent the final stage of a nationwide selection exercise that attracted more than 150,000 applications from across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
The National Health Fellows Programme is designed to select one Fellow from each LGA to support the implementation of health sector reforms at the community level. Successful candidates are expected to learn, observe and actively participate in strengthening health governance, service delivery and accountability within their localities.
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Officials said the selection process has been structured to ensure inclusiveness and merit. It began with digital screening tools aimed at improving fairness and efficiency, followed by multiple rounds of shortlisting. The final phase will involve in-person interviews conducted in candidates’ respective states.
Each state-level interview panel will comprise representatives of key institutions, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) State Coordinator as chair, officials of state ministries of health and primary healthcare development agencies, representatives of academia, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), traditional institutions, and the SWAp Desk Officer serving as secretary.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the process reflects the government’s commitment to transparency and excellence in building leadership capacity for the health sector.
“This process is part of our nation-building efforts,” he said. “We commend the strong interest shown by young Nigerians and reaffirm our commitment to fairness, transparency and merit. The selected Fellows will play an important role in supporting the transformation of our health system.”
Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, described the fellowship as a structured approach to talent discovery and human capital development, particularly at the grassroots level.
He said the integrity of the process would ensure that candidates selected possess the commitment and competence required to drive meaningful change within their communities.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kachollom S. Daju, mni, said the programme is also strengthening standards within public service recruitment.
“The Fellows will not only support health service delivery,” she said. “They reflect the values of transparency and excellence that the system seeks to institutionalise.”
After the interviews, successful candidates will undergo a residential national training programme in Abuja before being deployed to their respective LGAs to support innovation, accountability and community-based health interventions.