Lagos State Government has graduated the first cohort of the National Health Fellows (NHF) and onboarded a new set of fellows to drive health reforms in the state. The event, held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Secretariat, Alausa-Ikeja, brought together key stakeholders to witness the transition from Cohort 1.0 to Cohort 2.0 under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) framework.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described the programme as a visionary initiative by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deepen governance experience among young professionals. He highlighted the need for health insurance uptake and system strengthening to improve access and quality of care.
Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, commended the fellows for their commitment and urged them to balance idealism with pragmatism. He noted that the programme has received over 300,000 applications, underscoring its significance in Nigeria’s health reform agenda.
The fellows have made notable achievements, including reaching over 5,000 beneficiaries and implementing community-based interventions. They identified challenges such as workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps, and low health insurance uptake, recommending reforms in digital health, governance, and community engagement.
Lagos State Government is committed to supporting the fellows to drive health reforms and improve healthcare delivery.
The programme is a strategic investment in strengthening health system leadership and bridging the gap between policy and implementation.
