Lagos State has hosted the physical interviews for applicants into the National Health Fellows (NHF) Programme, Cohort 2.0, as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s health system through strategic human capital development.
The two-day exercise, coordinated by the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Desk Coordinating Office, was held at the World Health Organization (WHO) Lagos Office in Ikoyi and formed part of a nationwide selection process to identify young professionals for deployment across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The NHF Programme, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aims to build a new cadre of skilled health system professionals to support service delivery, governance, policy implementation and accountability at sub-national and grassroots levels, in line with ongoing health sector reforms.
In Lagos State, 60 shortlisted candidates, three from each of the 20 local government areas participated in the final interview stage, with the objective of selecting one National Health Fellow per local government area to ensure equitable spread and impact.
Speaking on the exercise, Dr Oyeyemi Ogunjobi of the SWAp Desk Office, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said the interviews reflected the state’s commitment to developing a capable, future-ready health workforce aligned with national reform priorities. She noted that the programme provides a platform to identify and nurture young Nigerians passionate about public service and grassroots health system development.
Also speaking, the WHO State Coordinator for Lagos State, Dr Chinenye Okafor, described the quality of candidates as impressive, noting their diverse professional backgrounds and strong commitment to health system transformation. She commended the collaboration between the Federal Government and Lagos State, describing Lagos as a trailblazer in health sector innovation.
From the regulatory perspective, the Deputy General Manager of the Lagos Zonal Office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Abraham Bethuel-Kasimu, said the interview process was objective, transparent and technologically driven, with candidates assessed through a real-time online scoring portal to eliminate bias.
The final selection of 20 National Health Fellows, one per local government area, is expected to strengthen health system coordination, service delivery and reform implementation across Lagos State, while contributing to the broader national objective of revitalising Nigeria’s health sector under the SWAp framework.
