Health
Pate Urges National Health Fellows participants to enhance existing reforms
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has urged participants of the maiden National Health Fellows Programme to build on the existing health sector reforms.
Pate made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja, at the training session for participants of the fellowship.
According to him, the participants are future leaders who will accelerate healthcare reform, improve accountability, and have the opportunity to be coached and mentored.
He emphasised the importance of their commitment to contributing to the country’s health sector reforms and to continuous learning, so that together, they can build a stronger, more reliable healthcare system.
The minister noted that the participants’ efforts were crucial in achieving President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a prosperous and healthy Nigeria.
“We are genuinely interested in your development and in giving you the opportunity to learn and to contribute.
“When you exit from the programme, we hope you will acquire skills and some understanding of yourselves that you will sow into the future.”
Regarding the selection process, Pate said that the 774 participants were chosen from about 359,000 applicants, adding that it was a merit-based selection with a huge representation of women, men and disabled population.
He, however, said that the unsuccessful candidates would be encouraged to participate in the Associate Health Fellows programme.
Some of the participants said they saw it as a huge opportunity to serve the nation and pledged to make good use of it.
One of the participants, Mr Godswill Micheal from Sidi Ibom LGA of Akwa Ibom State, said that he had been looking forward to such opportunity and that his participation in the programme has renewed his hope in the country.
He added that he had been working in communities for years and that participating in the programme was an opportunity for him to upscale his activities and do much better for his community.
He urged other Nigerian youths to keep hope alive as the country would get better soon and everyone would enjoy its dividends.
The newly unveiled one-year National Health Fellows Programme is aimed at boosting the health sector.
The programme brought together emerging professionals across several disciplines.
This includes health, health-related fields, information technology, and social sciences intended to cultivate a cadre of highly skilled and motivated health leaders capable of driving innovation in the health sector.
Championed by the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) SWAp Coordination Office under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, it drew participants from all the 774 LGAs.
NAN
Health
Experts call for pharma sector harmonisation
Health sector experts have called for the harmonisation of pharmaceutical activities in Nigeria to eliminate duplication, enhance efficiency, and improve access to quality medicines and health products.
The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement focused on aligning efforts under the Improving Access to Medicines through Policy and Technical Support (IMPACT) project.
Dr Tayo Hamzat, Supply Chain Management Officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said the engagement was timely, considering the number of ongoing but uncoordinated interventions in the sector.
“Harmonisation will lead to faster access to health products, lower costs, improved efficiency, and better regulatory oversight.
“It requires collaboration and a focus on strengthening national systems.”
He described Nigeria’s pharmaceutical system as “robust and huge” but hindered by weak coordination and fragmented management structures.
Dr Francis Ohanyido, Director-General of the West Africa Institute of Public Health, said such collaboration was “common sense” given limited development financing and the need to optimise resources.
“Market shaping is a critical tool.
“Harmonisation can help us identify clear gaps we need to fill, especially in preparation for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he said.
Dr Anthony Ayeke, Programme Manager for Health and Nutrition at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting a resilient, locally driven pharmaceutical sector.
“Harmonisation can accelerate local production, reduce import dependency, and improve healthcare system resilience,” he noted.
He also recommended regulatory streamlining, value chain capacity building, innovation, and public-private partnerships.
Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Pharmaceutical Value Chain Transformation Committee (PVAC), commended ongoing efforts under the IMPACT project.
Represented by Dr Muhammad Balarabe, Technical Associate at PVAC, he emphasised the committee’s focus on catalysing local production and attracting sustainable investment.
“Let’s use this platform to strengthen partnerships and align interventions with the vision of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians,” he said.
Dr Obi Adigwe, Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), said fragmented interventions and redundant regulations had long stunted growth in the sector.
Represented by Prof. Philip Builders, Professor of Pharmaceutics at NIPRD he said: “Equitable access to quality medicine is the foundation of universal healthcare.
“The lack of access is not just a health issue; it’s about equity, national security, and economic survival.
“Harmonisation isn’t just about avoiding duplication; it’s about aligning policy, investment, and technical frameworks to achieve measurable results.”
He urged stakeholders to develop practical short, medium, and long-term strategies to make Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector self-reliant, globally competitive, and able to meet national healthcare demands.
The meeting brought together key government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors, each reaffirming a shared commitment to a unified, efficient pharmaceutical ecosystem in Nigeria.
NAN
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