Nigeria’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage are being hindered by a severe shortage of healthcare workers, with experts warning that the workforce deficit is most acute in rural and conflict-affected communities.
The concern was raised on Saturday during the 4th Annual Scientific Conference of the College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where stakeholders examined strategies for closing access and workforce gaps across the country’s health system.
Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, said the uneven distribution of healthcare personnel is undermining service delivery across the state.
“Some primary healthcare centres in urban areas have as many as 80 health workers, while some facilities in rural communities are managed by only one health worker. This imbalance must be corrected if we are to provide equitable healthcare services,” he said.
To address the workforce shortage, Abubakar disclosed that the state government has introduced a two-year compulsory service policy for health professionals trained through state-funded scholarships.
He added that the government has also awarded 500 scholarships for the training of midwives as part of broader efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve primary healthcare delivery.
