Zamfara State has concluded recruitment interviews for the National Health Fellows Programme (NHFP 2.0), marking a major milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen healthcare leadership across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The programme, implemented under the Federal Ministry of Health’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), is designed to deploy a new cadre of merit-selected professionals to the grassroots to drive reforms and improve public health delivery. Although final results are yet to be released, state officials say preparations are in place to effectively integrate the fellows into the existing health system.
The Chairman of Zurmi Local Government Council and Zamfara State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Sama’ila Kwangwami, confirmed that local councils are fully prepared to support the initiative by providing the required logistics and operational infrastructure.
“Local councils are ready to provide the essential logistics and operational infrastructure needed for the successful deployment of the fellows,” Kwangwami said.
“The safety of the fellows will be paramount, considering the security situation in the state.”
In a move aimed at ensuring the success of the programme at the grassroots, traditional institutions were actively involved in the recruitment process. The Secretary to the Gusau Emirate Council, Alhaji Sambo A. Sambo, served on the interview panel to assess candidates’ cultural awareness and suitability for community engagement.
The Permanent Secretary of the Zamfara State Ministry of Health, Malam Sirajo Gusau, described the recruitment exercise as “credible, fair and just,” adding that the selected fellows are expected to serve as catalysts for modernising healthcare delivery at the local level.
Also speaking, the SWAp Desk Officer in the state, Dr. Abdullahi Wanzamai, said the selection process was strictly merit-based to ensure that only the most qualified professionals are deployed to serve communities.
The collaboration among state authorities, local governments and traditional leaders, officials say, reflects a unified commitment to strengthening health leadership, improving service delivery and achieving better health outcomes for rural and underserved populations in Zamfara State.
