By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Federal Government has announced the rollout of a new mass recruitment for National Health Fellows, expanding the programme after 774 fellows were deployed earlier this year to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the country.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, highlighted the fellows’ impact in improving transparency, strengthening accountability, and supporting the revitalisation of Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
“Earlier this year, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR @officialABAT, we launched the National Health Fellows Program #NHF, a bold step towards building the next generation of healthcare leaders in Nigeria,” Pate said on his X handle on Monday.
“From over 360,000 applications nationwide, 774 outstanding young Nigerians were meritoriously selected, and their collective impact has been remarkable across the 774 Local Government Areas @AlgonNationalHQ in Nigeria.”
Applications for the second cohort will open on 1 November 2025 and close on 30 November 2025. Pate urged young Nigerians from all disciplines to seize the opportunity, adding, “For details of the application process, visit healthfellows.ng.”
The programme aims to reinforce accountability in PHCs, with fellows serving as oversight officers for the planned construction of 8,800 new primary healthcare facilities nationwide.
Their role, Pate explained, “Is crucial in ensuring the fiduciary integrity and operational excellence of each facility within their domains of responsibility. There will be a State-level, multi-screening exercise in each Local Government Area of the Federation. The successful applicants who are selected as fellows will serve as accountability officers who oversee the ongoing construction of 8,800 new primary health facilities nationwide over the next few years while ensuring the fiduciary integrity and operational excellence of each facility.”
The initiative targets young Nigerians across all 774 LGAs, supporting government efforts to reduce unemployment while accelerating health sector reforms. Pate described the programme as central to the Federal Government’s broader Four-Point Agenda to overhaul healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
Since 2023, over ₦100 billion has been disbursed to PHCs under the revitalised Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), including ₦50 billion in the first quarter of 2025 and ₦32.9 billion approved in October 2025. The funds are aimed at modernising infrastructure, providing essential medicines, supporting operations, and expanding access to quality primary healthcare.
Pate said, “This is a Nigerian renaissance in full motion and in real time,” urging qualified Nigerians to apply as soon as the portal opens.