Tinubu Tells 774 Fellows: ‘You’re Hired’ at Program Launch

By Emmanuel Kwada

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today launched the National Health Fellows Programme in Abuja, a key initiative under his Renewed Hope Agenda to revitalize Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.

Addressing 774 young fellows tasked with monitoring Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across all 774 local government areas, Tinubu declared, “You are hired,” pledging employment after their one-year tenure.

The announcement came after 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.

Approved in April 2024, the programme aims to enhance accountability and efficiency in healthcare delivery, with fellows trained since February 27, 2025, under the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination office.

Tinubu, also the African Union Champion for Human Resources in Healthcare, hailed the fellows as “vanguards of a new era,” while Prof. Pate emphasized their role in driving innovation and aligning with plans to expand PHCs from 8,809 to 17,618 by 2027. Fellows like Mr. Godswill Michael and Nadia Abdullahi Ahmed expressed optimism, calling it a “game-changer” and “stepping stone.”

The launch marks progress in Tinubu’s healthcare reforms, including a ₦1.58 trillion 2024 budget, the retraining of 120,000 health workers, and plans for local vaccine production and ten oncology centers.

However, success hinges on state and local government cooperation, amidst challenges like corruption and infrastructure deficits. The global context adds pressure, with UN aid to Nigeria dropping to $538 million in 2024 (a 28% decline from $752 million in 2022) due to U.S. President Trump’s “America First” aid freeze, making domestic efforts like this programme critical.

The initiative’s outcome will test the administration’s commitment, with the fellows’ deployment offering a chance to address inefficiencies, provided resources and political will sustain their integration into the healthcare system.