Lagos State has taken its drive to strengthen grassroots healthcare delivery to a new level with the conduct of physical interviews for the National Health Fellows (NHF) Programme, Cohort 2.0, aimed at producing a new generation of health system leaders for local government areas.
The two-day interview exercise, held on January 12 and 13 at the World Health Organization (WHO) Lagos Office, Ikoyi, brought together federal and state health authorities, regulators and development partners to select 20 fellows, one for each local government area in the state.
The programme, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is a flagship human capital development initiative designed to deepen governance, accountability and service delivery in Nigeria’s health sector, particularly at sub-national and community levels, under the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) reform framework.
A total of 60 shortlisted candidates, drawn from across Lagos State, participated in the final stage of the selection process, coordinated by the SWAp Desk Coordinating Office in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
Speaking on the significance of the exercise, Dr. Oyeyemi Ogunjobi of the SWAp Desk Office, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said the interviews underscored Lagos State’s resolve to build a competent, future-ready health workforce aligned with national reform priorities.
She said the NHF Programme was designed to identify and groom young Nigerians with the passion, skills and integrity required to contribute meaningfully to health system planning, governance and service delivery at the grassroots.
According to her, candidates were assessed through a transparent and merit-based process that evaluated motivation, leadership potential, teamwork, communication skills and ethical values.
She added that the 20 fellows to be selected would play a critical role in supporting Lagos State’s health priorities within the SWAp framework.
The WHO State Coordinator for Lagos State, Dr. Chinenye Okafor, described the calibre of candidates interviewed as impressive, noting that they came from diverse professional backgrounds in line with the vision of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
Dr. Okafor said the enthusiasm and competence displayed by the candidates reflected a growing pool of young professionals eager to drive health system transformation in Lagos and across Nigeria.
She expressed confidence that sustained implementation of the programme would help build resilient health leadership for the future.
She commended the collaboration between the Federal Government and Lagos State, describing Lagos as a pace-setter in health sector innovation, and expressed optimism that the fellows would further strengthen the state’s performance.
From the regulatory and financing angle, 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 technology-driven.
He explained that candidates were scored using a real-time online portal that eliminated bias and ensured no single panelist could influence the outcome, adding that the system enhanced credibility and fairness.
Dr. Bethuel-Kasimu noted that the questions were designed to test candidates’ readiness for real-life assignments and deployment at the local government level.
On primary healthcare delivery, the Deputy Director of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Kehinde Ososanya, described the NHF Programme as a strategic federal intervention to groom young leaders capable of strengthening primary healthcare nationwide.
He said selected fellows would be deployed to local governments to work with health departments on service delivery, data management, community engagement, immunisation, antenatal care and other key maternal and child health services.
The interviews were conducted by a seven-member multi-sectoral panel comprising representatives of WHO, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), academia and community-based organisations, with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and NHIA serving as observers.
Each candidate underwent credential verification and structured assessment based on predefined criteria to ensure uniformity and transparency.
The final selection of 20 National Health Fellows is expected to strengthen coordination, accountability and service delivery across Lagos State’s health system, while contributing to the broader national goal of revitalising Nigeria’s health sector through the SWAp reforms