By Stephen Simon
The Federal Government has commenced the recruitment of 30,000 healthcare workers across the country in a major effort to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, improve access to essential medical services and address the shortage of skilled personnel in public health facilities.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the exercise forms part of the administration’s broader health sector reform programme aimed at revitalising primary healthcare centres, expanding healthcare coverage and ensuring that more Nigerians have access to quality medical services. He noted that the recruitment would include doctors, nurses, midwives, community health extension workers and other frontline personnel involved in primary healthcare delivery.
According to the minister, the initiative is expected to improve maternal and child health services, enhance disease surveillance, strengthen routine immunisation and boost the capacity of healthcare facilities to respond to public health emergencies. He added that newly recruited workers would be deployed to underserved communities where shortages of health professionals remain most severe.
The Federal Government said the programme complements ongoing investments in the renovation and equipping of primary healthcare centres, the expansion of health insurance coverage and the implementation of measures designed to reduce the burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses on Nigerians.
Health experts have welcomed the initiative, describing it as a significant step towards addressing the long-standing shortage of healthcare workers in the country. They, however, urged the government to ensure prompt payment of salaries, continuous professional training and improved working conditions to minimise the migration of skilled personnel to other countries.
Stakeholders also called for close collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments and development partners to ensure the sustainability of the programme. They stressed that strengthening the primary healthcare system remains critical to achieving universal health coverage and improving health outcomes across Nigeria.
Observers believe the recruitment exercise, if effectively implemented, will enhance healthcare delivery, reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals and contribute to the overall resilience of Nigeria’s health sector as the country continues to pursue comprehensive health reforms.
