Yesterday in Abuja, I was honoured to stand as a National and Global Health Stakeholder to deliver a Goodwill Statement at the Global Health Workforce Programme Nigeria Sharing & Learning Event, convened by Global Health Partnerships, Ducit Blue Solutions, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

As the Founder & President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, I was privileged to address this pivotal event, engage with the range of GHWP case studies presented, and extend my appreciation to Professor Charles Ameh and our longstanding partners, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, for their leadership in advancing sustainable and impactful healthcare education, training, and policy. The LSTM, WBFA, and National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) Global Health Workforce Project has strengthened the Nigerian health workforce in Advanced Obstetric and Surgical Skills (AOSS), enhancing the availability and quality of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EMONC) at both national and subnational hospitals.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa is proud to work on a Global Health Workforce Programme partnership in Nigeria, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, building the capacity of the National Postgraduate Medical College Nigeria NPMCN. Our LSTM & WBFA GHWP impact over the last year has been truly transformational in strengthening the capacity of the National Postgraduate Medical College to deliver Advanced Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care curricula to a total of 225 resident doctors, consultants, registrars, senior registrars, and medical officers in Obstretrics & Gynaecology, from 31 faculties and 18 hospitals from 19 states across the 6 regions of Nigeria, and has made significant progress incorporating interventions into the NPMCN curriculum.

This year has been one of remarkable progress, as the Global Health Workforce Programme has driven transformative impact in strengthening Nigeria’s health workforce through 14 targeted Health Partnerships. Funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, managed globally by Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET) and locally here in Nigeria by Ducit Blue Solutions, the GHWP has worked closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria to address national health priorities.

Since its inception in February 2024, GHWP-funded Health Partnerships in Nigeria have trained 2,577 health workers in leadership, clinical skills, education, and Gender, Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI), comprising Leadership Training to 84 health workers, Clinical Skills Training to 1,588 health workers, Gender, Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI) Training to 205 health workers, training a total of 2,577 health workers (867 Male, 1,602 Female, 108 not specified). The programme has also reinforced health policies through national collaborations, leading to evidence-based strategies and the scaling up of key interventions to strengthen governance and build a sustainable health workforce.

The Sharing & Learning Event in Abuja served as a vital forum for celebrating milestones, sharing best practices, and strategising for sustainability. It convened key stakeholders, health partnerships, experts, government agencies, healthcare institutions, professional bodies, and development partners, including the World Health Organization Nigeria, FCDO Services, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Neem Foundation, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), among others.

Notably, the event welcomed esteemed dignitaries, including the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Honourable Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, Founder of Ducit Blue Solutions, Estelle Onyekachi Mbadiwe MPharm, MSc, Health Adviser at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), British High Commission Abuja, Dr. Ebere Anyachukwu, and many other distinguished stakeholders. This gathering provided a platform to reflect on the programme’s achievements and its profound and lasting impact on Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The Global Health Workforce Programme stands as a beacon of progress, fostering resilient health systems post-pandemic while advancing the pursuit of Universal Health Coverage, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3. Through the Health Partnership Initiative, GHWP has championed cross-border learning and capacity strengthening, ensuring that health professionals are well-equipped to deliver high-quality care where it is needed most. This initiative, funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and managed by Global Health Partnerships, with local grant managers Ducit Blue Solutions, is making an indelible impact in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

I remain deeply committed to advancing initiatives that empower our health workforce, improve maternal and newborn care, and fortify Nigeria’s healthcare systems for generations to come.

 

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