774 National Health Fellows have written to President Bola Tinubu, urging the government to honour a promise to employ them within the Federal Civil Service. The appeal comes four months after the announcement of the fellowship programme, which was launched to strengthen Nigeria’s health workforce.
The fellows, who were selected to receive advanced training in public health and clinical practice, were assured that their participation would lead to permanent positions in the civil service upon completion of the programme. However, the promised job placements have yet to materialise, prompting the group to seek the President’s intervention.
In their letter, the fellows highlighted that they are ready to contribute to the national health system but remain without official employment status. They called on the administration to fulfil the commitment made at the outset of the fellowship.
While the government has not yet responded publicly to the appeal, the issue underscores the challenges of translating policy promises into concrete employment outcomes for health professionals in Nigeria.
The National Health Fellows programme was designed to address long‑standing shortages in the country’s health sector, providing training and career pathways for a new generation of medical and public‑health specialists.
<small>Source: Punch Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>