The Federal Government has announced the recruitment of more than 37,000 health workers across its health institutions since 2023, alongside the training of 70,000 frontline health workers, as part of efforts to improve healthcare service delivery in Nigeria.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced this in a statement issued by its Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako. The ministry said the recruitment, workforce training and the Federal Government’s approval of the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration are aimed at improving service delivery, strengthening workforce planning, promoting staff retention and ethical recruitment.
Speaking in the statement, Bako said the Federal Government had approved Nigeria’s National Policy on Health Workforce Migration to address the growing challenge of skilled health professionals leaving the country. According to him, the policy is designed to improve workforce planning, strengthen retention and promote ethical recruitment.
He said the government’s workforce reforms are supported by the National Health Workforce Registry and continued investments in specialist training and workforce development. Bako added that the reforms form part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and improve access to quality healthcare.
He said the Federal Government had approved ₦32.9 billion under the revised Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF 2.0) to support more than 8,300 Primary Health Centres, with expansion ongoing to reach 13,000 facilities nationwide.
According to Bako, the government’s health reforms have contributed to more than 80 million patient visits, while over 21 million vulnerable Nigerians have accessed healthcare through the Vulnerable Groups Health Insurance Fund.
He added that disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness are also being strengthened through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention gateway under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
On access to medicines, Bako said the government is expanding local pharmaceutical manufacturing through the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain. “The objective is simple: strengthen local production, improve medicine security and make essential medicines more available and affordable for Nigerians,” he said.
Bako said the reforms also include investments in health infrastructure, maternal and newborn health, emergency preparedness, digital health systems and accountability. He added that the 2025 Joint Annual Review showed that 84 per cent of the key performance indicators under the Presidential Health Sector Renewal Compact had been achieved.
While acknowledging that significant challenges remain in the health sector, Bako said the government has continued to pursue sustained reforms rather than deny existing gaps. “Nigeria’s health sector still faces significant challenges, and the government has never suggested otherwise,” he said. “Lasting reforms, however, are measured not by rhetoric, but by sustained action, transparent implementation and measurable results.”
The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with healthcare professionals, civil society, development partners, the private sector and everyone to build a stronger and more resilient health system. “Our mandate remains clear: save lives, reduce both physical and financial pain, and improve the health and wellbeing of all Nigerians,” the statement said.
